Vindictive Angels
by My Life Craves Pirates
Summary: TNA fic.Ellie Blackwood transfers to TNA from WWE to teach the Beautiful People a lesson with Roxxi.what she didn't expect was to get caught in the middle of the Main Event Mafia/Frontline war, and find friends in the most unusual of places. COMPLETE!
1. Sign On

Yes.a wrestling sory. because there's not enough TNA stories on this site…about Roxxi,anyway…  
**Summary:** the newest addition to TNA Impact, former WWE employee "Ice Angel" Ellie Blackwood, has a bone to pick with the Beautiful People. Her favorite female wrestler, Roxxi Laveaux, has been the target of their abuse for long enough, and Ellie cannot stand by and let them do this to her anymore. Ellie has decided that Angelina Love and Velvet Sky are overdue for a lesson in respecting the normals.  
along the way, she finds herself caught in the middle of the Main Event Mafia/Frontline war, and finds friends in the most unusual of places.  
**Warnings:** violence,language,possibly some blood-letting. _mild Angelina Love/Velvet Sky bash fic._don't like,don't read, don't complain. simple as that.  
**Pairings:** possible Christian CagexOC. Currently undetermined. i'll take votes.  
**Notes:** events may not be in chronological order, so don't tag me on that. this is going to be slight AU throughout.  
**Disclaimers:** I don't own TNA Impact Wrestling,or any of the people associated. Ellie Blackwood/Ice Angel is an OC,and I do own her and her finishing moves.  
**Copyright:** I also own this story. as such, stealing is a no-no. in fact:  
**Vindictive Angels (and Ellie Blackwood and all finishing moves) © My Life Craves Pirates 2008-2010**

**Vindictive Angels  
****by My Life Craves Pirates**

**Chapter 1: sign on**

A pen was swept hastily across a crisp sheet of paper, somehow finding it in itself to leave a clean yet completely illegible signature. Ellie Blackwood blew gently on the ink to dry it before pushing the paper back towards Jim Cornett. He picked it up and scanned it over briefly, occasionally glancing at her from behind his glasses as she set the pen back on the table. Cornett gathered up the rest of the papers on the table and shuffled them together.

"It's done, then," he said. "Your transfer from WWE is official; you're now a member of TNA."

"Couldn't be happier," Ellie replied.

"You have registered under the name 'Ellie Blackwood', is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"As a member of TNA, you're entitled to a nickname, if you chose one," said Cornett. Ellie cocked her head and stared at the wall behind Cornett briefly.

"The Ice Angel," Ellie replied. "I had two wings tattooed to my back in response to a similar nickname I was given while I was still at WWE. I'd like to stay somewhat faithful to that." Cornett nodded and scribbled the name down on her registration forms and stuffed it into her file.

"Now, you don't start fighting until next week. This Thursday, though, you will show up to the ring to sign a five-year contract with TNA. Hopefully this will go more smoothly than Samoa Joe's signing."

"Can't say I have more self-control than that," Ellie replied. "But I look forward to seeing you in the ring." She shook his hand before turning on foot and leaving Cornett's office.

_Thursday is two days away_, she told herself. _Maybe I can watch some fights until then._

There was really only one reason she joined TNA. WWE was fair to her, and she liked working with the people there. The reputation she had earned herself was more than enough for her to enjoy her stay. She would watch episodes of TNA on the TV she kept in her dressing room, and found that she rather looked up to TNA Knockout, Roxxi Laveaux, and (like most female TNA wrestlers) despised the Beautiful People.

_It's not much of a "People" group, it's just the two of them_, she mentally muttered to herself, strolling down the halls.

Roxxi, as she well knew, was perfectly capable. She had defeated Angelina Love before, but somehow couldn't defend herself from the blond woman's shears. The standing ovations the Voodoo Queen had earned were well justified. Ellie couldn't say she liked Roxxi's new look, but she admired her for not hiding it. She admired her courage, her energy…the way she handled Angelina in the revenge match. Ellie was sure Roxxi would have won that if Velvet Sky hadn't aimed hairspray in her eyes.

_Oh, and then there's Velvet._

Ellie had never paid much attention to Velvet Sky's fights. To her, Velvet just seemed more like a sidekick who didn't fight very often. Ellie had seen Velvet fight probably twice since she had started watching TNA Impact, and she had lost both times.

Now, Angelina Love, on the other hand, had won her fair share of fights. She was vicious, dirty, but half the time, she somehow got the job done (with or without cheap-shots from Velvet). But Ellie well knew that the reputation she had earned at WWE was _not_ for being nice. She hoped to recreate that reputation when she started fighting next week.

Angelina and Velvet had suddenly become so self-conceited, they would go to any lengths to punish those who disrespected the Beautiful People. The head-shaving, the paper bag, the verbal degredation…all of this was supposed to be a lesson: don't disrespect the Beautiful People.

There was only one reason Ellie had joined TNA. She felt that the vanity of the Beautiful People was overwhelming, suffocating. She felt that the Beautiful People were overdue for a lesson in respecting the _normals_.

Ellie pondered directions to the ring. She wanted to head there, whether or not fights were currently taking place. She had never been backstage in TNA before, so she couldn't quite say she knew how to _get_ to the ring in the first place. There weren't many people walking the halls. The few she encountered paid little or no attention to her as she passed them by.

One man, however, a blond man, was walking towards her, looking through a small stack of paperwork and muttering to himself. He glanced up at her briefly to see who was heading towards him. She was unfamiliar to him, but he gave her an acknowledging smile. Ellie smiled back and passed him. The man looked over his shoulder back at her, with a confused look on his face while wondering to himself who she was; he had never seen her before. Upon looking back at her, however, he noticed the black ink etched into her back, just visible from behind her nearly backless shirt.

"Hey," he said, stopping. She turned around. "Gnarly tattoo." Ellie glanced at her back as best she could before looking back at the man.

"Thank you," she said.

"No prob," he replied. "Christian Cage."

"Ellie Blackwood."

"Haven't seen you around."

"Expect to be seeing me again."

_Not quite the response I was looking for…_ he thought. "I look forward to it. Where're you headed?"

"The ring," Ellie said. "Speaking of which, which way is it?"

"The ring? You won't find it going _that_ way. I'll show you if you want."

"No, thanks," Ellie said, eyeing his paperwork. "You seem busy. Directions will suffice." Christian shrugged.

"Head down in the direction I'm going now till you get to the end of the hall. Make two lefts, go straight, and you'll find the wrestler's entrance to the ring. Right before it, though, there should be a table with a live-circuit TV on it. You can watch the fights from there, as I'm presuming you'll be doing."

"You presume correctly," Ellie said, smiling. "Thanks for the help. I'll see you around." Christian turned and walked off, once more burying himself in the paperwork he was holding. Ellie looked after him for a while before heading down to the ring, muttering to herself the new directions.

"End of the hall…turn right…no, left. Twice. Up ahead…ah ha!" Ellie made her way through an open door, past wall supports, and around another corner. There were tables and lockers lined up in the room. Just as Christian had said, there was a TV on one of the tables. Security was gathered around it. They glanced at her as she approached.

"Can we help you?" one of them said.

"I'm new," Ellie answered. "I just wanted to watch the fights."

"Ah. Well, pull up a chair." Ellie glanced over at the steps leading up to the wrestler's entrance. Through the bright lights and swarms of fans, she could faintly make out the six-sided ring. She looked at the TV to see Matt Morgan and Rhino fighting. Morgan had the obvious upper hand, what with his height advantage. The fight was soon won. Ellie sat down next to the three guards present.

"Is there a fight schedule tonight?" she inquired.

"Um…yeah, here," one of them replied, handing her a sheet of paper. Upon scanning it, Ellie noticed that Roxxi was fighting tonight, against Jacqueline Moore.

Just as quickly as she had finished reading it, she heard a "Hey, Roxxi" from one of the guards and then a woman walked by the table towards the wrestler's entrance, pushing a shopping cart full of assorted weapons. Ellie looked up. Roxxi was leaning against the cart, waiting for her cue. She acknowledged the guards and ran her hand over the peach fuzz growing on her head. She looked around briefly before glancing at Ellie. She paused, studying the Ice Angel.

"You look familiar," she said. "Have we met?"

"Sad to say, we have not," Ellie replied. "I actually just transferred over from WWE."

"Ah yes," Roxxi said. "I remember watching one of your fights once."

"I watch your fights all the time," Ellie said, smiling. "I'm Ellie Blackwood."

"Roxxi," the Voodoo Queen replied, shaking her hand.

"I know." Music began blaring, and an announcer started shouting things into the microphone.

"There's my cue," Roxxi said.

"I'll see you around," Ellie said. "Good luck." With a smile, she mentally added, _Though I doubt you'll need it._ Roxxi pushed the cart onto the entrance ramp, and cheers erupted from the crowd.

Roxxi put forth her technique during the fight. A technique Ellie has studied many times. It seemed that Roxxi often let her opponent gain the upper hand early on, only to come back strong and (hopefully) win. Or, in the case of the Beautiful People, she'll give it her all right from the start, acting relentless until the fight's been won. Cheap shots from the sidelines will usually cost her the fight, but to Ellie, that just meant that Roxxi, who prefers a clean and straightforward fight, is stronger. Roxxi had an obvious feud with the Beautiful People, and Ellie had a bone to pick with them.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the Voodoo Drop incapacitated Jacqueline long enough for Roxxi to take the 3 count. Ellie smiled aside to herself. She wondered if she could request a tag team match with Roxxi against Angelina and Velvet.

_Thursday comes first_, she reminded herself.

Ellie got up and left.

**.xXx.**

Wednesday went by in the same fashion. Ellie had spent the night at an inn down the street, where she stayed until TNA started running fights again. She met some of the other Knockouts and Superstars, some of whom were nicer than others.

Awesome Kong was up first tonight, against Salinas. Ellie couldn't say she paid much attention to Kong's fights. As for Raisha Saeed, she mainly just stood by. She's been known to fight, but Ellie's never seen it.

Salinas lost the fight rather quickly, just as Ellie had entered the waiting room by the wrester's entrance. She raised an eyebrow in educated amusement. She was about to turn around and head back out when suddenly…

"_I'm not done yet!"_

Ellie snapped her head back around at the familiar voice of Angelina Love. She and Velvet Sky were in the ring standing on either side of Awesome Kong, who was still looming over the lifeless form of Salinas. Ellie hadn't even noticed them there.

"Kong…_get her again!_" Ellie stared in horror as Kong implemented an Implant Buster on Salinas. Since _when_ does Awesome Kong take orders from the Beautiful People?

Ellie was conflicted. She didn't even know Salinas, but more than anything, she wanted to save her from Kong's and Love's combined wrath. But she hadn't signed the contract yet; she couldn't be seen yet. What if security took her away? She wouldn't be there to sign the contract tomorrow.

_What the hell am I supposed to do, then?_

It seemed that as if on cue, several Knockouts rushed past her and into the ring, just as Kong was about to put Salinas in an Awesome Bomb onto a steel chair. Ellie was in a haze of confusion, and did not see who the Knockouts were. She sat down in a chair and waited out the post-fight match. She didn't bother looking at the live-circuit TV. She could hear the announcements just fine. It seemed that Angelina and Velvet were being dealt with, so Ellie got up and left.

She was walking down the backstage halls down to Jim Cornett's office by now. She had a question for the management director. Not important, or career-threatening, but just for future reference. She was halfway there when she was intercepted by the Beautiful People, who had just come from the ring and were exchanging angry rants quickly back and forth to each other in high-pitched voices. They stopped short once they saw Ellie.

"Ooo, what's this?" Angelina said. Ellie raised an eyebrow, but did not say anything as Velvet advanced on her.

"Look, Angelina," Velvet cooed, "maybe she wants to be one of the Beautiful People too?" She reached up to grab a lock of Ellie's hair. Ellie quickly slapped her hand out of the way.

"Not a chance," she said.

"Oh, fiesty," Angelina said, standing by Ellie's other side, observing her. "Who _are_ you, anyway?" Ellie took a step back.

"I'm signing on to TNA," she answered simply. "You'll get to see it tomorrow, I'm sure." Angelina and Velvet "Ooo"ed at each other.

"Oh, babe, you're not going into that scary ol' ring looking like _that_," Velvet said. Ellie scrunched her face at her.

"What's wrong with the way I look?" she inquired. Angelina scoffed in a "no-duh" tone.

"Sweetie, have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"Have _you_?" Ellie retorted. Angelina seemed to have been caught off guard by Ellie's comeback. She quickly recovered.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" she said. "I'll tell you what. Seeing as how you're new here, and you're likely to need new friends to get along with here at TNA, we'll give you a makeover, free of charge, tomorrow before your big contract-signing. How's that sound?" Memories of Roxxi's own makeover flashed through Ellie's head, playing over how it went so horribly wrong. She answered quickly.

"No, thanks, I think I'll pass," Ellie said. Angelina and Velvet seemed taken aback.

"But hon, where else are you going to find beauty tips as good as ours?" Velvet said. Ellie shrugged and started to walk away.

"I dunno," she said. "The streets?" She turned and headed down the hall, leaving the Beautiful People to soak in the prostitute joke Ellie had just dropped on them.

At her destination, Ellie rapped her fist on Cornett's office door. A hasty answer invited her inside. Cornett looked up from his paperwork enough to glance at Ellie.

"Ah! Miss Blackwood, how can I help you? Still looking forward to tomorrow evening?" he inquired.

"Yes, of course," Ellie replied. "But you never mentioned the time. What time am I supposed to be in the ring tomorrow?" Cornett brooded on this for a while.

"Let's make it 5pm on the dot," he answered. "Can you do that?"

"I look forward to it." Ellie turned and headed back out to the halls, back out the door, and started towards her motel. Tomorrow would be a big day.

**.xXx.**

She intended to plan out her outfit carefully. But she decided that she didn't want to spend too much time brooding over her appearance. So she slapped on her favorite set of clothes: a black and light blue t-shirt with "ROCK" written in Old English splayed across a blue star, accompanied by blue jeans and her favorite pair of boots and gloves. She quickly combed out her hair and applied make-up in the way she saw fit. Ellie made sure to lock the inn room door behind her as she headed out down the street towards the TNA building.

Once inside, she scanned the empty hallways quickly. She wanted to avoid confrontation and any delay on her way to the ring. This was her moment.

Her watch indicated 4:57pm as she entered the wrestler's entrance and waited for her cue. This should be no different than her sign-on to WWE. Get in there, sign the damn thing, start fighting the next day. No sweat.

Cornett and several other TNA associates could be heard in the ring. Upon observing the live-circuit TV, she could see the management officers standing next to a wooden table. Cornett was shouting things into the microphone, but she didn't pay much attention to anything he was saying until he called her name. Music began blaring on cue, though it wasn't what Ellie had selected for her theme song. She'd have to work that out later. The arena went black and lights began flashing. Ellie shrugged her shoulders to loosen up before stepping up the stairs and walking down the entrance ramp. The crowd erupted in cheer, despite not knowing who she was. The spotlight focused on her as she made her way towards the ring.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm proud to introduce…" Ellie started up the steel stairs. "Ellie Blackwood!" The cheer grew louder as Ellie ducked under the ropes and approached the wooden table in the middle of the ring. She took the microphone handed to her.

"Jim, it's good to be here," she said. The cheer subsided into a quiet noise.

"Now, as you know but the fans may not, you're here to sign a five-year contract with TNA, thus completing your transfer from WWE," Cornett said. "Is that correct?"

"Yes it is, sir," Ellie replied.

"Here is, your official TNA membership contract." Cornett stepped aside to reveal a single sheet of paper splayed out on the table. A pen was sitting next to it. The other associates didn't approach her. She guessed that Cornett was taking precautions after the way Samoa Joe put one of the management officers through the table during his signing.

"If you'll just sign that please…" Ellie swallowed briefly before picking up the pen and bending over the table. She placed her signature on the dotted line and handed the contract to Cornett. He took it from her and held it up to the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I proudly present to you, TNA Knockout, the Ice Angel…_Ellie Blackwood_!" Cornett grabbed one of her wrists and held it up, the way a referee would when she won a match. She smiled and put her other hand in a "metal" sign. Once Cornett released his hold on her, he turned on her.

"Now then, Miss Blackwood," he said, the crowd now settling down, "since you have not requested a specific match against anyone for your first fight tomorrow, it is my duty to assign one to you on your first day." Ellie was struck.

"What?" she shouted over the thunderous roar of the fans. "I didn't know I could select my opponent!" Her statement was barely heard, as she had put down her microphone when she signed the contract.

"You never asked!" he retaliated. Ellie was beginning to see why no one liked Jim Cornett. "And as TNA management director, I have decided that your first fight will be tomorrow against…Awesome Kong!"

_Oh…CRAP._

"Wait…seriously?" Ellie was speaking into the mic now. "You expect me to fight against Kong on my first day on the job?"

"What's the matter?" Cornett teased. "Is the little ol' Angel afraid of the big bad Kong?" Ellie put a hand on her hip and looked around at the fans. Half of them started jeering. The other half started cheering. She decided that now would be a good time to start building a reputation for herself.

"You've got a lot of gut taunting me like that," she said, pointing at Cornett. "And I never said I was afraid, now, did I? I'll take on your Big Bad Kong. And what's more? I'll_ beat_ her. And anyone else that comes my way!" She threw down the microphone and climbed out of the ring, too angry to say anything else.

**.xXx.**

She was headed towards the exit. Ellie just wanted to go back to her motel room and sit things out and get ready for her first fight tomorrow with TNA. She had never really studied Kong's techniques while watching episodes of TNA from her WWE dressing room. She was always too focused on Roxxi's fights. Ellie had her laptop with her up in her motel room, but she doubted that Wikipedia could help her much regarding how Kong fights.

"Just stay up long enough to take out Kong before her Awesome Bomb does," she told herself. As she rounded the corner, she nearly collided with Christian Cage.

"Whoa, watch out, there," he said. He took a step back to see who he nearly ran over. "Oh, hey there, Ellie."

"Hi."

"I just saw your contract-signing," he said. "I _thought_ I knew you from some place."

"Probably," Ellie replied. "I signed on to WWE about two weeks before you left." He nodded thoughtfully.

"I don't think we ever got well acquainted," he said. "Did you change your name upon transferring over from WWE?"

"Yes, actually," she said. "Back in WWE, I was registered under the name Lina Lavigne." He smiled.

"And how do you go from Lina Lavigne to Ellie Blackwood?" he inquired. "They don't sound anything alike." She shrugged once.

"I liked that name, so I took it," she answered simply.

"Took it here to TNA?" he said. "Makes me almost wonder what your real name is."

"I'll give you a hint," Ellie smiled. "My real name is closer to Ellie Blackwood than Lina Lavigne. Figure it out, while I attempt to familiarize myself with the TNA employees."

"Oh I see. Didn't have a chance to familiarize yourself with the Instant Classic at WWE, so you followed me here?" Ellie scoffed.

"You wish," she said. "Don't let your ego get to your head, okay? I've seen you make that mistake before."

"And it leads to my downfall, yadda yadda. Trust me, hon, I've heard it before."

"Still, I wouldn't mind getting to know you a little better," Ellie said before she could stop herself. "I mean, while we're here, at TNA, I mean…as friends?"

_Way to go_.

Christian smiled again. "Yeah, I'd like that. You fighting soon?"

"Tomorrow, actually. Will you be watching?"

"Hm…probably," he answered, scratching his goatee. "And hey…if anyone's giving you trouble, you just let me know. I want your stay at TNA to be an enjoyable one. You hear?"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya," Ellie said, sidestepping him. "You make it sound as though I'm completely helpless." She flashed him a grin before walking down the hall and out the door.

_And I most certainly, am NOT._

End Chapter 1

That's chapter 1. this took me way too long to write.i started a while ago,but I kept getting sidetracked with school and stuff.i have been watching TNA regularly since then.i was sad to see Kong give Roxxi an Awesome Bomb on a steel chair last night.i really am a big fan of hers.  
Next chapter is Ellie vs. Kong. much anticipated,as I may guess. how will she fare?you'll just have to wait and see.**reviews,please!**if I don't get enough,I may have to delete this.  
And as always,please refrain from flaming.  
Stay tuned!


	2. Stubborn

I'm begging on my knees at this point that you lovely wonderful readers please PLEASE review the story as well!i've only got one review so far, and man,that's just not enough to satisfy a girl.  
**Warnings:** beating up of people and some blood letting. this comes with some fluff,however that works out...  
**Disclaimers:** don't own TNA,or have even been to a show either.I'm not 18 and they're always on the east coast.i'm a west coaster,thank you very much.  
**Note:** some events in this story may not have even happened in previous TNA episodes. events that HAVE happened may be switched around or AU.  
**Note II:** I've been misspelling Jim Cornette's name,spelling it "Cornett" in the previous chapter.i'm too lazy to go back and change the last chapter,so I'll just start spelling it properly from here on out.  
**Reviews and Feedback:** always always welcomed.

**Chapter 2:stubborn**

Word of mouth had it that Angelina and Velvet were going to make an "important annoucement" tonight after Angelina's fight against Christie Hemme. They seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Whether it be to challenge another person in need of learning to respect them, harrassing the Knockouts they don't like, or complaining about how no one will talk to them.

_Hmm. Not surprising._

Ellie was given a temporary dressing room in addition to her membership. It wasn't as big or as glamorous as the others that she had seen, but it was certainly better than walking down a freezing street at night to her small unheated motel room. She liked not having to walk far to and from the ring after fights. It gave her more time to socialize.

Speaking of socializing, Ellie had befriended Knockouts Taylor Wilde and Gail Kim. They were both open-minded and seemed to take a liking to her. She had also met ODB. Ellie wasn't quite sure if they were friends yet, because ODB kept taking swigs from her flask and yelling inchoherent things while slapping her thighs, and she decided to just give up when the taller woman ran off. That was an interesting experience, to say in the least.

Ellie had also run in to Roxxi again when she returned to the TNA center. The two of them had a chance to talk before Roxxi had to leave to talk to Cornette…before Ellie had a chance to tell her about her tag team idea. This reminded her that she needed to talk to Cornette as well.

She was back in her dressing room by now. She intended to talk to Cornette before her fight against Kong tonight.

_Speaking of Kong…_

Ellie was scheduled to fight against Awesome Kong tonight. She didn't quite think it was fair. Being pitted against one of the most difficult Knockouts to beat on her first day on the job. But maybe…she had brought this upon herself.

She had been so insistent about recreating her reputation at TNA, her reputation of being vicious and quick, that she hadn't once stopped to think where this might lead her. She wondered if Cornette had seen her WWE fights and scheduled her TNA fight accordingly.

"Well damn," she muttered. "That's just freaking fantastic." She wasn't worried. She wanted to feel confident, but she couldn't.

Ellie had a mini TV switched on in her room, and on it, she watched tape recordings of Awesome Kong's previous fights she had obtained from the camera guys. They were quick and rather one-sided. Kong usually came out the victor, using her signature move, the Awesome Bomb. Ellie noticed that in some cases, Kong would put her opponent in the position for the Bomb on top her shoulders, and walk around like that for a little bit before slamming them back down to the mat. Ellie thought to herself that she may be able to use that to her advantage, if she were uninjured enough to function.

So she had a plan. But she was very upset that she couldn't use her first fight to debut her finishing move.

_And man, it's a good one_, she though, sighing.

She switched off the video. It was time for Angelina's fight. She deliberated on whether or not she wanted to go down to the ring or just watch it from her room. Maybe she'd just watch it with the security guards again.

Ellie found herself outside and walking down the hallways of backstage TNA once more, muttering to herself the directions given to her by Christian Cage. She found the entrance room with ease, and with it, the security guards, feet propped up on the table and pulling beverages out of a cooler.

"Hey, Ellie," one of the guards said. She had come to know him as Michael.

"Hey yourself," she replied. "What's going on?"

"Angelina and Christie," Michael replied. Ellie made a face.

"Who's winning?"

"Angelina, it looks like." Christie had Angelina on the floor and tried to do the splits on top of her from the top rope, but Angelina had rolled out of the way, leaving Christie to fall to the mat crotch-first and scream out in pain. Angelina then slingshotted herself from the rope barriers and drove her boots into Christie's chest, knocking her down. Angelina took the three count. Ellie raised an eyebrow.

"Well. That was quick."

"Well, you missed the beginning, though. We thought for sure Christie was going to win."

"_And as promised, the Beautiful People have an announcement to make, from the looks of it,"_ said Mike Tenay.

"_You can see Angelina Love take the microphone from the referee…makes you wonder what she has to say,"_ added Don West. Angelina flicked her hair over her shoulder as she strolled towards the center of the ring. She cleared her throat as Velvet Sky ducked under the ropes to join Angelina in the middle of the ring.

"This message goes out to the newest member of TNA, _Ellie Blackwood_," she began, putting unnecessary emphasis on her name. "Velvet and I had a word with her yesterday, and it's TRUE that the newbies are _always_ the most _arrogant_." Velvet faked a sob. Angelina dramatically stole a glance at her before continuing. "She was _rude_ to us, she _insulted_ us, she was _stuck up_ and thought that she was _better_ than us! Overall, she _disrespected_ us. And _NO ONE_ disrespects the Beautiful People!" She paused to hand the microphone over to Velvet. The crowd made noise. Cheering or booing noises were undiscernible.

"She made fun of my beauty tips!" Velvet said, then scoffed. "Although I don't think ANY amount of my tips could have helped THAT train wreck." Smiling, she glanced over at Angelina, who was doubled over with laughter. Ellie raised an eyebrow again. "So I'm sending out a challenge to the _Ice Angel_. You. Me. Next Thursday on Impact. Why don't you come down here and…give me an answer?" She lowered the microphone in anticipation.

The guards looked over at Ellie, who was glowering at the TV.

"Well?" said Kent, another guard. "You going to go down there or what?" Ellie stood up.

"I don't intend on actually going down there." She grabbed a microphone from the table. "I just want to make myself known. What a distraction. I _was_ going to go talk to Cornette. But I can't now, can I?" She pointed at the sound board guy, who began to play her entrance music: the intro to "Citizen Erased" by Muse. The lights flashed accordingly.

The cameras focused on Ellie as she walked out onto the ramp, but did not descend it.

"_And Ellie Blackood, the Ice Angel, has entered TNA to face the Beautiful People."_

Ellie held up the microphone. "I hope you two realize that I did that so you'd see how self-conceited you are." Even from that distance, she could see the looks of angry shock on their faces. "This challenge, I'm assuming to be a _lesson_ you plan to teach me about respecting you skanks?"

Angelina scoffed, cutting her off. "You don't believe us?"

"I'm saying that the lesson is stupid and unnecessary, but who am I to refuse a challenge?"

"_And that, ladies and gentlemen, was Ellie Blackwood accepting the challenge from Velvet Sky."_

"Stupid and unnecessary?" Angelina repeated. "Obviously you missed the fight." She motioned towards Christie Hemme, who was still lying on the floor, dazed from the fight. "Do I have to play it back for you?" She dropped the microphone and grabbed a lock full of Christie's hair.

_What the hell are they doing?_ Ellie thought in panic. Velvet then produced a pair of shears.

_Oh crap, NO!_

Ellie threw down the microphone and launched herself down the ramp, ignoring the fans who stretched out to reach her. She dove into the ring and kicked Velvet in the chest before either of them had a chance to realize what was happening. She aimed a punch at Angelina, but Velvet kicked her in the back. Ellie hinged backwards and cried out. Angelina kicked her to the floor.

"_The Ice Angel tried to save Christie Hemme, but only ended up endangering herself! Oh, what a turn of events!"_

Angelina began to stomp on her as she covered her face. Velvet disappeared momentarily, only to reappear with a brown paper shopping bag with a picture of a crude woman drawn on the front.

Ellie quickly deliberated how she would get up and retaliate. Her options were limited, and she couldn't even stand up. Her ribs felt like breaking. She couldn't breathe.

But before she knew it, Angelina had stopped. The paper bag never came. She waited for a few seconds before looking up.

Roxxi and ODB were standing over her, each holding a steel chair. Roxxi was hitting the mat with the chair, while ODB was standing on the middle rope shouting profanities at the Beautiful People, who were backing up on the ramp.

Ellie was suddenly filled with gratitude and admiration.

Roxxi was then kneeling by her, setting down the chair. "You okay, hon?" Ellie got a kick of adrenaline.

"Never better," she replied, grinning. "Let's just get out of here. I have a fight to get ready for."

**.xXx.**

Ellie fastened the chains on her corset one by one before observing how it looked in the mirror. Calm. Composed. Relaxed.

_Heh. Yeah right._

She knew that Awesome Kong was one of the toughest Knockouts to beat. But she also knew that it was possible. Stick to the plan. If it works, then it works.

She wrenched open her dressing room door and started to head out. In doing so, she almost collided with Christian Cage. He had his hand up in a fist, about ready to knock on her door. She jumped slightly.

"Oh!" she said. "Hi."

"Sorry, were you about to leave?" he asked.

"Yeah, actually," Ellie said. "I'm scheduled to fight in about ten minutes."

"Against Kong, right?" he said. Ellie nodded once. He laughed through his nose. "Nervous?"

"Hardly," Ellie replied, scoffing. "I know my way around people like her."

"So would it be too much if I told you 'good luck'?"

"I'll take it anyway, thanks," Ellie replied, grinning. She cleared her throat. "So, when I opened my door, it looked like you were going to knock. Anything you wanted to say?"

"Hmm? Oh no, I—um, no," he stuttered. "No. Just wanted to uh…to wish you good luck." Ellie cocked her head.

"Thanks," she said again. "But as I said yesterday, I'm not completely helpless." They smiled at one another before passing each other by. She was a few yards away from him before he called out to her.

"Hey, Ellie," he said. She turned around. "Would you mind if I go with you? Just to watch from the entrance room, I mean. It's your first fight, and I'd like to see it for myself without having to decipher it from traveling rumors post-match."

"That'd be best," Ellie replied. "Of course you can come. It'll be…encouragement." She waited for him to catch up to her before the two of them headed down to the wrestler's entrance.

Limited security was present. Just two guards whom Ellie was not aquainted with yet. Christian seemed to know them, as he and the two guards exchanged "hello"s. Christian seated himself in a chair by the table with the live-circuit TV amongst the guards. Ellie sat on the corner of the table. Tenay and West were doing wrap-ups of the previous fight and talking about the next Pay-Per-View event. Ellie payed little attention.

_Stay focused. Composed. Relaxed. Don't let her get to you. Don't let her Bomb you. Focused._

Tenay announced Awesome Kong as her music started playing. On the TV, they could see Kong and Raisha Saeed descend the ramp and look around menacingly at the crowd as they both climbed into the ring. The announcers started giving statistics about Kong while the wrestler in question started glaring down the referee. Ellie sighed and got up.

_Holy crap you're so screwed, Elle._

"Good luck, one more time," Christian said. Ellie grinned at him.

"Don't need it," she lied. "Thanks anyway." Her name was called and her music played. So she skipped up the steps and headed down the tunnel.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the newest TNA Knockout!"_

Ellie aknowleged the crowd. In sync with her music, she gracefully pulled her hair over the front of her shoulder and turned around, lifting her arms up to display her angel wing tattoos, etched into her skin above her nearly-backless corset. The blue and white pyros errupted the same time her arms went up. Once they pyros stopped, she turned around and started heading down the ramp.

"_She stands five feet three inches tall, bills in at 121 pounds and comes to us from her hometown Temecula, California, she is, the Ice Angel, Elliiiieeee Blackwooooooddd!"_

Kong started glaring at her from the ring. Ellie jeered right back. She climbed into the ring and hopped up onto the ropes in a corner, holding up her arms. The crowd cheered. The bell sounded. Ellie hopped down from the ring and turned around only to see Kong charging at her. Adrenaline coursed through her body, and was about to jump onto the middle rope to realiate, but she lost her footing. Kong crushed her into the turnbuckles.

It felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. Ellie collapsed to the floor, trying to regain composure. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to stand while attempting to catch her breath. She could see Kongs's feet wandering around the ring before finding their way back to Ellie. A large hand burried itself in her hair and Ellie was pulled to her feet. Another kick of adrenaline, and Ellie smacked the hand away. She delivered several chops to Kong's chest, despite her height. While Kong was still stunned, Ellie launched herself at the ropes for a running start. Leaping, she drove both her feet into Kong's gut. Kong doubled over, so Ellie kicked her in the chest. She straightened up. Ellie ran for the top rope. Once in position, she leapt feet first at Kong.

Kong grabbed her in mid-air by the neck. With only one hand, she threw Ellie back down to the mat.

Pain surged down her spine. She gaped in a silent scream.

"_And it doesn't look like anyone will cut the newbie some slack! Awesome Kong is just relentless!"_

Kong grabbed her hair and pulled her up again, only to seize her by the throat and lift her up into the air, using only the strength in her left hand. She swung her around to face the turnbuckles in the corner, moving towards it to throw her into it.

Ellie kicked Kong in the chest with both feet. Kong dropped her, and Ellie fell six feet to the mat. She hit it hard and rolled over onto her back. Determination cancled out fear, adrenaline cancled out pain, and knowing that Christian was watching cancled out the nagging voice in the back of her head that she wasn't going to win.

She was suddenly aware of Kong kneeling over her and the referee slapping the mat. She quickly got a shoulder up a second before the ref hit the mat for a third time. Ellie was suddenly on her feet. Both of Kong's hands were on her. She was abruptly flipped backwards through the air, landing on one of Kong's shoulders in the preparation for an Implant Buster. Ellie was still fully functional and was aware of her feet dangling freely. She planted her feet on Kong's back and pushed off, breaking free from the finishing move and falling to the mat. Kong spun around in surprise, so Ellie drove one boot into her gut. She launched herself into the ropes and rocketed towards Kong, dropkicking her in the same spot. Kong wouldn't go down, so Ellie did it again. A third time and Kong fell back. Ellie got her leg up.

"_One…two…th—oh! So close! You can almost hear Ellie Blackwood shouting profanities from the ring!"_

Ellie grabbed a handful of Kong's bicolored braids and lifted her up, but didn't get very far before Kong struck her once in the gut. With a small yelp, Ellie fell to her knees.

_Determination. Focus. Stay alert. Ready yourself. It doesn't hurt THAT bad…_

Kong pulled her up and doubled her over. Ellie was vaguely aware of her head between the taller woman's legs and instantly knew what was coming. Two arms wrapped around her mid-section and flipped her backwards through the air.

_FOCUS. _

Kong held her up on her shoulders. Ellie could still function. Kong took a few steps around the ring before stopping.

_**NOW!**_

Ellie grabbed a hold of Kong's head with both her hands. She lifted one elbow high into the air, stretching her body, gritting her teeth. With one solid yell, she drove her elbow into the top of Kong's head just and Kong started bringing her down.

Ellie hit the mat, but not with the force she expected. She bounced once and rolled and immediately lifted her head up in expectation. Kong was flat on her back, a single trail of blood running down her face. Ellie quickly scrambled over and lifted one leg.

"_One…two…and that's it."_

"_Ladies and gentlemen, here is your winner, the Ice Angel, Ellie Blackwood!"_

"_What a turn of events! It looks like the newbie doesn't even NEED to be cut some slack."_

Ellie was on her feet, one of her arms in the hands on the ref being held high above her head. Once her arm was released, Ellie stumbled around the ring in the direction of the entrance ramp she came through, half-expecting to see Christian with a smile on his face.

She didn't see Christian. Instead, she saw the ceiling when a steel chair was cracked over her back. Screaming, Ellie feel to her knees. Raisha Saeed, still holding the chair, kicked her once in the chest and Ellie fell onto her back. She was kicked down every time she tried to stand.

"_It looks like no one will take it easy on the newbie! It seems that everyone wants to teach her a lesson!"_

Ellie rolled onto her back. Saeed tried to hit her with the chair again, but Ellie put her foot up. Saeed ended up hitting Ellie's boot rather than her face. Ellie wrenched the chair from Saeed's grasp. She began to back away, so Ellie kicked her once in the stomach. She wheeled around to face the announcers.

"STOP, CALLING ME, '_NEWBIE!'"_ She spun around weilding the chair and struck Saeed once across the head with it. The woman promptly fell. Ellie grabbed a microphone.

"Angelina, Velvet!" she shouted. "Take a look! This is what you're getting yourselves into! Think you can take this? If you're scared, _feel free to back down any time_. As for me, I'm still game." She dropped the mic.

A boot to her back and Ellie landed face first on the mat. She heard the chair land on the floor. It was moved around before Ellie abruptly found herself in between Kong's legs again. She had just gotten up in time to see Ellie strike her manager with the chair.

"_It looks like Kong is going to avenge Raisha Saeed. She's positioning Ellie Blackwood for the Awesome Bomb on top the steel chair!"_

"_Oh come on now, we don't need this."_

"_Where is security?"_

"_OH BUT WAIT! Christian Cage is now running down the ramp towards the ring!"_

"_What on earth is going on?"_

Ellie was thrown to the side and heard what sounded like Saeed and Kong scrambling out of the ring. Upon opening her eyes, she was subjected to dèjá vu at the sight of Christian standing over her holding the chair she was about to have been Bombed on. Ellie got to her knees before Christian could check on her.

"You okay?"

Ellie held up her hands. "I'm fine. A little dazed, but that's expected."

"Incredible fight," he said, helping her to her feet after discarding the chair. "Would you take it into offense if I said I didn't think you would win that?"

"Not at all," Ellie replied. "Not much people seem to think much of the newcomers."

"Don't be stubborn. Can you stand?"

"Of course. What kind of stupid question is tha-?" Her knees gave out and she feel back onto the mat.

"A legitimate question," Christian replied. He scooped her up into his arms and exited the ring, with the announcers still shouting things into the mics.

End Chapter 2

Bloodletting was promised and not in the quantity you were hoping?  
hints of ElliexChristian?who knows?i'll take votes.  
reviews,please!


	3. Challenge

**6.15.09 EDIT **did some research, and now the Descent has a technical name. it is officially called a sommersault leg drop (performed off the top rope).  
**5.6.09 EDIT **i've more thoroughly explained why Kip James is with Velvet Sky in her fight, in case anyone was confused.  
**1.14.09 EDIT **I've rewritten the glass table scene. seems I got most of the information wrong,but can you blame me? That was a long time ago! I watched the scene again on youtube and have now fixed it. But it's still AU, though.  
Been slow to update,sorry about you know,reviews do help me update lets me know that people actually read my story.  
**Warnings:** more fighting and the end,there will be bloodletting where we re-wittness the scene with Christian Cage being thrown through a glass table. as mentioned by others,it was staged and the rag was pre-soaked with blood, for the sake of this fic,let's pretend everything is real—the blood,the drama,the PAIN.  
**Disclaimers:** could you imagine someone like me running TNA? What a scary thought. no one has to worry about it, though, because I don't own TNA,nor am I in any way associated with TNA.  
**Notes:** the fight scene should be more exciting this time,since I actually know what some of the wrestling moves are. and if you don't…well…look it up on wikipedia.  
**Note II:** AU glass table incident towards the end.  
so enjoy the fic.

**Chapter 3: challenge**

Five days after Ellie's match with Awesome Kong, people were still talking about it. Apparently, no one had any high expectations of the newcomer, but after Thursday's fight, they all decided that high expectations weren't really needed.

Christian had been keeping a distance since he had saved her from the beat down on Thursday. Ellie couldn't say she knew why, but she figured it had to do with the rumors going around the Impact Zone. Word got out that Christian had been seeing a lot of Ellie since she arrived at TNA, which naturally sparked some nasty rumors that the two of them were involved. Coming to her rescue last Thursday only fed that fire. Now that he was allegedly avoiding her, more rumors had it that it was because his wife wasn't exactly approving. Ellie had talked to him once since her match with Kong, but it was enough to assure her that the rumors were, well…just rumors.

She knew better.

Since Thursday, Ellie had also gotten a chance to talk over her tag-team idea with Roxxi. Once Ellie had gotten the idea out, Roxxi contemplated it for a moment and rubbed her peach fuzz as an extra reminder that the Beautiful People needed a lesson taught. It took only seconds for Roxxi to approve of the idea. The two women then spent around ten minutes talking, becoming better friends, reviewing moves and tactics for the match, were it to pass with Cornette.

Moves and tactics aside, it was time to talk with the big man.

Ellie knocked on Jim Cornette's door. She was of course, expected.

"Come in!" he called. She turned the knob and pushed it open. Cornette was seated behind his desk, Traci Brooks was standing across from him, and a camera man was in the corner. Ellie had since been trained to ignore him.

"Ah, Miss Blackwood, how can I help you? Please, sit down," Cornette said, shaking her hand. Ellie sat down in a chair in front of his desk and crossed her legs.

"I have an idea for a future fight," she said. "I already ran this past Traci, and I believe she thinks it's a good idea."

Cornette looked to Traci, who nodded with enthusiasm. "All right, I'm all ears."

"I propose a tag team match," Ellie said. "Me and Roxxi, up against Angelina and Velvet. Think of it kind of as a grudge match."

"Grudge match?" Cornette said, scrunching his face. "What have they ever done to you?"

"Well, I haven't even been here for very long, and they're already up in my face," she replied. "They've given me a beat down, degraded me, and then challenged me to a fight. Plus, I have to say, Roxxi's my fav. Seeing them do that to her—," Ellie made shearing motions across her head, "—really pissed me off. Think of this as teaching them a lesson."

"They have gotten pretty conceited," Traci said. "I do think this is a good idea."

"They keep saying they'll teach us to respect the Beautiful People, but who's going to teach _them_ to respect the normals?" Ellie said, holding up her hands. "Hell, if no one else will, I'll have to."

Cornette nodded, thinking. He stood up then, holding his hand out to Ellie again.

"Elle, you've got yourself a fight."

**.xXx.**

The following day, Ellie was intercepted by Roxxi while walking down the hall. The Knockout seemed eager to find out if their tag team proposal went through.

"I'm happy to say that it did," Ellie said, grinning widely. "You and I are up against Angelina and Velvet in a tag team grudge match. The date will be determined later. But that should give us enough time to go over each other's moves, right?"

"You bet," Roxxi replied. "I'm actually supposed to be somewhere right now. But I'll get back to you and we can schedule some time to go over stuff, okay?"

"I have to get ready for a fight, so that sounds good," Ellie answered.

"I'd wish you good luck, but I don't think you need it," Roxxi said, smiling. Ellie cocked her head.

"You know, Christian said the same thing to me when I went up against Kong," she said. Roxxi's smile faded.

"Oh hey, what I've heard about you and Christian, are they-?"

"Not true."

"Ah okay," she said. "Sorry about that. Well, I'll see you around." The Voodoo Queen turned on foot and headed off. Ellie grinned.

_Oh. This is gonna be good._

She turned towards the direction of her dressing room and started walking. No sign of Christian, but she did pass other people in the halls. Some of them gave her weird looks. On the way to her room, she encountered Rhino, who assured her that he'd take on anyone giving her crap. He must have heard the rumors going around. Who hadn't? She figured he probably did this with everyone since he seemed like a nice guy. So she thanked him for his help and continued on to her destination.

Ellie considered taking him up on his offer.

Grinning, she shook the thought from her mind and opened the door to her temp dressing room.

**.xXx.**

Her theme song started playing. Reluctantly, Ellie darted out of her seat at the guards' table and up the entrance ramp. She almost missed her entrance cue, because she had been spacing out a bit. Whenever she gets herself into arranged grudge fights like this, she'll be concentrated on it for the longest time. In her grudge match, she'd be going up against Velvet Sky, and she's also facing her right now. Ellie was pretty sure that this would only help to boost her determination, but she also wanted to think of this as an opportunity to pin point Sky's weaknesses and figuratively draw a map of her moves.

_Citizen Erased_ started blasting, and Ellie did her standard entrance display, showing off her wing tattoos and such. Her opponent, Velvet Sky was already in the ring waiting for her. On the outside, were Velvet's accomplices Angelina Love, and their newly aquired "fashion consultant" Kip James (though now he's being billed as Cute Kip). Ellie was just past the ramp when Sky, Love, and Kip together were taunting her. Ellie sneered at them and climbed in to the ring and sighed.

_Calm, relaxed, composed._

The bell rang. Ellie and Velvet started circling each other, with Ellie shaking out her hands to loosen up. The two women locked up in the middle and broke when Ellie delivered some knee shots to Velvet's middle. Ellie grabbed Velvet by the hair and drove her face into her knee. Velvet fell onto her back.

Ellie could _feel_ the adrenaline rush, she could hear Angelina yelling at Velvet to get up, she could sense Kip James's presence. Everything seemed so _alive_.

Ellie grabbed Velvet by the hair again and pulled her to her feet, but Velvet raked her across the eyes. She was temporarily blinded while Velvet bounced off the ropes and came back for a running clothesline, sending Ellie down to the mat.

"_And it's just moves like these that can turn the fight around in an instant. It's Velvet Sky now with the upper hand on Ellie Blackwood."_

Velvet pulled Ellie to her feet and started to throw her into the ropes. Ellie countered with an Irish Whip and came back with a powerful dropkick to Velvet's face when she came ricocheting off the ropes. Ellie got the leg up, but Velvet kicked out after two. Ellie glared menacingly at the referee who held up his hands defensively. Sighing, she got Velvet to her feet and delivered a few sharp chops to her chest before whipping her into the turnbuckles. She went in for a charge in the corner, but ran into a big boot instead. Pain shot through Ellie's nose, and she clutched at it while she stumbled around the ring. Velvet Sky grabbed her, adjusted their arms, and put Ellie in a reverse DDT. Velvet got the leg up.

"_One…two…oh, not enough!"_

Velvet threw a leg over Ellie and seized her by the throat, shaking her and slamming her head into the mat. Ellie couldn't breathe, and with her head being rattled around, she couldn't think quite straight. Velvet eventually stopped and got up to fix her hair. Ellie rolled onto her knees and coughed. Velvet took a fistful of Ellie's hair in her hand and started to pull her to her feet, but Ellie grabbed Velvet's head and brought her back down for a jawbreaker. Ellie made a mad dash for the ropes, jumped up onto the second one and back for a springboard clothesline. Ellie got her back up and bent her forward, then threw her up into a suplex DDT. Ellie got a leg up.

"_One… oh! That was quick. Just not enough!"_

Well Velvet may have been able to get her shoulder up quickly, but she was still splayed out on the ground, chest heaving heavily. Ellie rolled onto her back and balled her hands into fists furiously. She stood up and put her boots to Velvet's ribs before dashing over to the closest turnbuckle and climbed to the outside. She acknowledged the crowd as she climbed to the top rope. It so happens that Angelina and Kip were on the other side of the ring, so that at least saved Ellie from a nasty fall. Ellie shouted something at the announcers.

"_We've been told by the Ice Angel that the move she's about to do is called The Descent,"_ Tenay said, barely picking it up.

Ellie stood up on the top rope and held her arms up to the crowd. They went wild. She jumped.

The Descent would be Ellie doing a front flip off of the top rope, landing one leg across the opponent's throat, and bending her other leg so her foot would land on the opponent's face at the same time. Essentially, a fancy version of a sommersault leg drop. But when Ellie jumped off the ropes, nobody was home.

_Damn!_ Ellie thought, arching her back in pain. _It would have been so cool if the Descent's debut could have pulled through._

Velvet's boot connected with Ellie's ribs, which sent her across the ring a few feet. When Ellie got up, Velvet was standing in front of her. Velvet grabbed Ellie's wrists and twisted them into a standing straight jacket hold, then threw her backwards into a sit out sleeper slam.

Ellie's head hit the mat. Hard.

She opened her eyes and she could see small black dots floating around. But she was still aware of the referee bent over her, slapping the canvas with one arm. Ellie barely got a shoulder up in time. Her vision was clearing up. She was able to fully function again when Velvet launched her into the ropes and was able to duck under a clothesline and stop short, kicking Velvet in the stomach when she turned around. The turned towards Tenay and West.

"_Now we've been informed that this next move is called the Angel Drop."_

"_Let's hope it goes more smoothly than the Descent."_

Ellie put a hand on Velvet's shoulder and the other hand under her legs. She threw a shoulder against her chest and lifted her up, pivoting on her feet and flipping Velvet upside-down vertically. Ellie placed a knee on Velvet's chest as she slammed her back down to the mat.

"_Interesting move there by Ellie Blackwood! I think we've just seen an innovated variation of the scoop slam!"_

"_One…two…three, and that's it."_

"_Ladies and gentlemen, here is your winner," _shouted the ring announcer, "_the Ice Angel, Ellie Blackwood!"_

Ellie rolled out her shoulder as the referee held up her arm.

"_Man, that was only Ellie Blackwood's second fight here at TNA, but she's already on a roll!"_

"_I'll say! That last move looked __lethal_."

The referee dropped her arm, and she moved her hand to her shoulder, still rolling it out. Velvet's sleeper slam had done a real number on her arms. Ellie ran through the fight in her head. It seemed that Velvet's weaknesses were that she was a little bit quick to act, but she made up for that in alertness.

Ellie should have been alert, too.

Angelina climbed in to the ring behind Ellie and back-clotheslined her. Ellie hit the canvas face-first and shouted at the mat angrily. She felt Angelina's hands grab a hold of her hair and pull her up roughly. She barely had time to retaliate before Angelina furiously slammed her back down with a lifting reverse STO. Ellie saw black spots again.

It seemed that what Ellie lacked in alertness, she made up for in her ability to recover from attacks quickly. So her vision had already cleared by the time Angelina retrieved a paper bag from Kip and made her way over to her again. Velvet had gotten up and started assaulting Ellie's ribs again. This was the _second time_ that she had to be subjected to this, and yet she was already sick of it. Clutching at her ribs with one hand, she reached out with the other and grabbed Velvet by the foot. Ellie twisted her ankle sharply, causing Velvet to fall. Angelina kicked Ellie square in the chest, and she fell onto her back, screaming.

_Well, she still has the paper bag in her hand, so it doesn't seem like she's going to give up soon._

Angelina took a fistful of Ellie's hair again and pulled her up, unfolding the paper bag. She swept it towards Ellie's head, but Ellie reached up and grabbed it, yanking it out of Angelina's hands. Standing, she ripped it in half. Tossing the two halves aside, she leaped at Angelina and connected to her stomach and the back of her head in an Enzuigiri. Ellie had her by the hair again before she had a chance to fall.

"_It looked like the beat down was going to continue, but suddenly, Ellie Blackwood turns the tables on the Beautiful People!"_

"_Oh, and now a powerful scoop slam from Ellie Blackwood on Angelina Love, right on top of Velvet Sky!"_

Ellie delivered some choice words to Kip James as he started shouting at her from outside the ring. Frustrated, she threw up her hands and jumped out of the ring.

_GOD I need a nap._

**.xXx.**

A week later, and Ellie decided to just kick back in her dressing room and watch the fights. She herself wasn't fighting that night. She was yet to be informed if she would be any time soon, but for the time being, she decided to watch whoever _was_ fighting that night on the live-circuit TV in her room. Sounded like a great idea. Ellie hadn't been paying much attention to any of the fights, though. Things were getting chaotic, both inside and outside of the ring, and she had to face Angelina and Velvet in…well, however many weeks. But whenever the date is, it was most likely to be rather soon. So needless to say, she had a lot on her mind. She barely even noticed it when Christian Cage and Brother Ray started fighting.

Ellie got up and strode around her room a little bit when the two men began their bouts. Christian seemed to have the upper hand and the announcers were screaming things into their microphones, but the words buzzed by her ears. She didn't hear any of it, and didn't make much of an effort to try and listen. She would glance back at the TV occasionally, but they were still fighting. She seemed edgy, anxious, and there was a sense of foreboding hanging over her each time she looked back at the TV, which she actually seemed to be doing rather frequently. She wasn't quite sure why, but it was like, in the back of her head, she knew something was going to happen.

She couldn't explain it.

But when she looked back at the TV monitor again, the words still buzzing around her, her focus and concentration was broken.

Johnny Devine had tried to interfere and attack Christian with a kendo stick, but the tables were turned. And then Brother Ray got up, side-bombed Christian, then cracked him over the back with the kendo stick.

_What? Why? __When did Johnny Devine side with THEM, what's going ON? _she thought frantically. She caught herself grabbing a hold of the sides of the TV, staring at it wide-eyed. She almost screamed at it before remembering that the actual event was taking place on the other side of a few walls. She needed to get down there and do something, but what chance did she have against at least three men twice her size?

But at the same time, she couldn't just stand there and do _nothing_. Christian was there for her when Awesome Kong almost Bombed her on top of the steel chair. She felt that she had to return the favor, and now was the most opportune moment to do it. But just her going up against Ray and Devon together…she had _no_ chance.

Christian was unconcious on the floor. Brother Ray started shouting things to his accomplices outside of the ring, but she didn't catch it. Once Brother Devon, Devine, and Tomko arrived and pushed a glass table into the ring, Ellie didn't care about her odds, and she didn't care about her chances.

She was taking them.

Ellie slammed into the door in her haste and wrenched it open. She hurled herself down the halls in panic. She didn't have much time. She didn't stop or look around to see who was giving her weird looks, who started whispering behind her back…She needed to get to the ring. Let Rhino deal with them or something.

_Oh that's right…he's not here yet. And AJ's dealing with Kurt. So, it's up to me, then. Well that's just great. Really._

The table would probably take a little bit of time to set up, then they would most likely showboat around a little before, as she was assuming, putting Christian through the table. But that might not be enough time to get to the ring and stop them.

She picked up her pace.

In fifteen seconds, she had made it to the wrestler's entrance backstage. The whole time she had been wondering if security had beaten her to the ring by now. But once she got to the wrestler's entrance, her question was answered, and the answer was "No." Because once she got into the wrestler's entrance, she nearly tripped over the bodies of almost a dozen unconscious referees and security guards.

The live-circuit TV sitting on the table was still on, and she glanced at it briefly. Devon and Tomko had delivered Christian to Brother Ray. He held Christian in a powerbomb position, sat on the top rope…

And jumped off.

"_**NO!**_"

There was a loud shattering noise from the TV and from beyond the entrance ramp. Ellie grabbed the edge of the table for support. She was in shock.

Two seconds later, she had jumped the stairs to the entrance ramp and was pelting down the tunnel. She wasn't quite sure what she could do _now_, since they had already thrown Christian through the glass table. What could she do now when she was already too late?

Ellie was met with blinding lights as she jumped out onto the ramp and sprinted towards the ring. The crowd started cheering. From where she was, Ellie could see the mess in the ring: The four men, the broken table, the scattered glass shards…and Christian's lifeless form.

The announcers started shouting things into their microphones, probably giving away her presence. It didn't matter.

She threw herself into the ring, adrenaline rushing heavily through her. She quickly scrambled to her feet, barely catching Christian's attackers's stunned faces as she connected a right hook to Ray's jaw. A boot to Devon, a dropkick Tomko, and an Enzuigiri to Johnny Devine, and the way was clear.

_"Nice comeback from Ellie Blackwood! I mean, she just single-handedly cleared the way!"_

"_A few weeks ago, we saw Christian Cage coming to the aid of Ellie Blackwood. Now it seems like she was trying to return the favor, but she was too late!"_

"_And yet she's still out here. What does she think she's going to accomplish?"_

Christian was lying between two halves of the table. There was glass and blood everywhere. Ellie knelt down on the glass beside him and took his face in her hands.

"Christian? Christian, say something?" she whispered.

"_Well, maybe she's just here to check on the condition of her friend."_

The Instant Classic stirred a little bit and groaned, but otherwise did not speak. She looked around for the paramedics.

The paramedics were standing behind the security guards, and the security guards were getting pummeled by Team 3D, Tomko, and Devine just outside of the ring. Ellie got up and ran for the ropes. She grabbed the top rope, jumped, and slid her feet through the mat and bottom rope, connecting with the back of Devon's head. He promptly fell.

Ellie wasn't quite sure if she had thought this through before she decided to act out. She thought she had done that so security and paramedics could get through to Christian. But when she had kicked Devon in the head, she had diverted Christian's other assailants's attention to her.

_Oh. So my plan worked __sort__ of._

She jumped back when Ray tried to grab her by the ankles. She backed away when Ray and Tomko climbed back into the ring and started advancing on her. She glanced towards Christian. Paramedics were holding a bloody rag to his back. So at least her plan had worked _so far_. She had to keep Ray and Tomko's attention away from Christian and the paramedics, or she was afraid that they'd go back for more.

On the other side of the ring, security was trying to keep Brother Devon and Devine from entering the ring. Ellie guessed that she had to keep them from noticing that too.

"You've been nothing trouble since you got here, Blackwood!" Brother Ray shouted at her.

Ellie started shouting things back. She wasn't even sure what words were coming out of her mouth right now, but she didn't care. She was holding their attention, and that was all that mattered right now.

She was backing up the whole time that they were advancing on her and screaming things at her. But then Ellie hit a corner, trapped against the turnbuckles. Ray and Tomko both got up in her face and started shouting at her, and she was shouting right back.

"_Oh now Brother Ray and Tomko have got Ellie Blackwood cornered in the ring! Let's hope this doesn't get any uglier."_

"_Meanwhile, security is still trying to hold Brother Devon and Johnny Devine from fueling the fire, while paramedics tend to the wounds of Christian Cage."_

"_Man, I mean there is just glass __everywhere!_"

Ellie was contemplating ways to get out of this predicament before she ended up through another table of some sort. Just as she was starting to put a plan together, a referee tapped Ray on the back, and both he and Tomko rounded on him. This gave Ellie enough time to leap over the ropes and land on the matted floor below. The paramedics were taking Christian out of the ring, but she couldn't follow. Ray and Tomko had noticed that she had escaped and were shouting at her from the ring as she backed up the other ramp.

There was no victory on her part.

End Chapter 3

I ended up writing the glass table incident during school. I've been writing a lot of scenes from this story during school, it would seem. I suppose I have nothing better to do?  
And then I realized that I got everything wrong and wrote the scene again. It was…difficult to watch the glass table incident again, even if it _was_ fake.  
This chapter ended up being much longer than I expected. This story is probably going to be more than just three or four chapters, too. There's still a lot I need to get written down and posted.  
So stay tuned, won't you? Review, in the meanwhile.


	4. Visits and Bouts

**5.6.09 EDIT** added an extra few lines in this chapter to explain exactly when Sting became the heavyweight champ.  
**12.2.09 EDIT **changed one move in the Ellie/Taylor match to a move that i meant to put down. also changed the Icebreaker's technical term to what it actually should be.  
REVIEWS PLZ.  
this chapter is post-glass table incident. starts out with Ellie going to see Christian in a nearby hospital. Do keep in mind that most of these events are AU, so all the crap that Christian went through in the previous chapter is _real_. Sigh, if only actual real-life wrestling could be completely real too.  
**Warnings:** fluff maybe, language maybe, and more fighting  
**Disclaimers:** (someone please tell me if I don't have to put these in every chapter) So I don't own or am affiliated with TNA in any way. I'm not a wrestler, but I _kind of_ want to be.  
**Note:** You may have to be up to date with TNA from the Glass Table Incident up until now to get most of what I'm talking about. If not, just review or private message me and I'll elaborate.  
**Note II:** I got some feedback regarding the ElliexChristian seems to her and to me that Christian's really more of a brother to her than anything that's how it'll stay.

**Chapter 4: visits and bouts**

It was another two days before Christian was allowed to have visitors in the hospital he was checked into. The exact hospital and its location would not be disclosed to the public, but Cornette revealed it to Ellie after she stormed into his office and demanded to know. A few minutes and a lot of yelling later, and Ellie walked out of the management director's office, information in hand. For Christian's sake, the incident was not taped. Ellie was able to take a breather, relieved to know that the cameramen weren't around her and the other employees 24/7 for once.

Cornette had written down the name of the hospital, its address, and directions to it for Ellie just to get her to leave. She didn't exactly like having to get the information this way, but then again, she was steadily building a reputation like the one she had in WWE. And she did not get that reputation by being _nice_.

Ellie rounded a corner, reading over the directions and muttering them to herself. She walked several feet, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught someone leaned up against the wall. She turned around only to see a distraught-looking AJ Styles leaning on the wall, one hand on his face. Ellie stopped walking and cocked her head. She took one step towards him, but he didn't seem to notice her.

"Are you okay?" she asked. AJ snapped his head towards her and threw his hands down by his sides.

"Am I okay?" he repeated. "_Am I okay?_ Of course I'm not okay! My best friend is stuck in the hospital and I can't even go see him! It _kills_ me to know what he went through, and then I can't be there for him when he finally gets visitor time. _Damnit!_" He punched at the wall, then sighed and shook his head. Ellie raised one eyebrow. She raised the small piece of paper she was holding and ruffled it to make sure he heard it. AJ looked up.

"What's that?"

"AJ, where's your car?" Ellie inquired.

"Where's my car? Elle, what are you—?"

"Where's your car?" she repeated in a firmer tone.

"It's out back, why?"

Ellie held out the piece of paper to him. He took it and glanced at it once. "We're going for a drive."

**.xXx.**

Ellie and AJ had barely said a word to each other after they got into his truck and drove off. It was probably a five minute drive from the Impact Zone to the hospital (the Impact Zone was probably built there because of that). Ellie had spent the drive so far staring out the passenger side window. AJ tried to keep his focus on the road, but kept glancing over at her, wondering if she was ever going to answer his question.

"Are you going to talk to me or do you just plan on ignoring me and staring out the window?" he said. Ellie had one elbow propped up against the door and was leaning her face on her fist. She didn't turn to look at him when he spoke.

"I'm not ignoring you."

"Well, you never answered my question," AJ said.

"I got the information from Cornette by yelling at him a lot," Ellie answered simply. "If his writing is kind of illegible, it's because he wrote it down really quickly, just so he could get me out of his office." AJ nodded once and turned back to the road.

"So uh…why did you ask me to come with you? I thought you and Christian were good friends." Ellie snapped her head towards AJ.

"Are you implying something?" she asked, perhaps harsher than she intended. "Rumors are rumors, AJ. I asked you to come with me because, as his best friend, I just thought you'd want to see him. That _is_ what you told me in the hallway back in the Impact Zone, isn't it?"

"Well, I was just wondering," AJ said, pulling onto the exit ramp. He came to a stop at a traffic light that was red. "Can I ask you another question?"

"If you want."

"Why did you go out there?" he said. "I mean, after you knew that it was too late to keep him from going through the table, you went out there anyway. What did you think you'd accomplish?"

Ellie was silent for a few seconds. "I owed him a favor," she replied. "I still do." AJ made a left turn, nodding. Both of them turned silent for a while.

"Okay, I can see the building up ahead," he said. "Good work on these directions, Elle."

"You're welcome," Ellie replied, almost bitterly. AJ glanced at her once, but didn't say anything. Ellie caught this in the reflection of the window. She rapped her fingers on her leg. "AJ?"

"Yeah?"

"If I've been seeming kind of angry or pissed off, it's because I am," she explained. "I'm not meaning to take it out on you. If I come off like I am, I'm sorry."

"Angry? About what?" He pulled into the hospital parking lot.

"I'm still beating myself up a little bit for…for being too late to save Christian," she said. "I thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to clear out my favor with him, but I was too late. I didn't get there in time."

"Hey," AJ said, shutting off the engine. "No one can blame anyone for Christian getting put through that glass table. It would have been _smart_ of you to stay back. I mean, Team 3D? Tomko? Those guys are huge! Look, I'm sure Christian appreciated the fact that you even made an effort to save him in the first place. All right? Don't worry about it." He lightly slapped her arm. "Let's go see Christian."

**.xXx.**

"Jason Reso…let's see…Ah, here we go. Third floor, room 309."

"Thank you for your help," Ellie said to the receptionist. AJ had already taken off towards the elevators. She could tell that the receptionist lady wanted to ask her a question or two, but she had to catch up with AJ, who was jamming his finger onto buttons on the elevator panel. She arrived by his side once the doors opened up.

"Third floor, was it?" AJ asked, pushing the "close" button. Ellie confirmed it, and the "3" button lit up. The elevator creaked and began its slow ascent to the third floor. The two wrestlers didn't speak during the trip up. It was almost awkward. Once the doors opened, AJ was out in a flash, walking down the hallway muttering "309" to himself. Ellie followed at a slower, more relaxed pace. She left it up to AJ to find Christian's room first, which he did once he disappeared suddenly. Ellie picked up her pace a little bit. As she approached, she could hear voices coming from the room, the door still open.

"You okay?"

"How did you get here?" came Christian's voice. "I thought Cornette wasn't going to disclose this place to anyone." Ellie stepped into the room and leaned up against the doorframe.

"He had some help," she said. Both men glanced back at her. AJ nodded to Christian, who was still looking at Ellie.

"How do you feel?" AJ asked. Christian turned his attention back to him.

"I'm fine, now," he said. "Took a few hours to get all the glass out of my back, though. And I'm being told that I can't wrestle for another week, at least."

"But you'll be out soon?"

"In a day or two."

AJ sighed in relief. "It's good to know you're all right," he said. "Everyone at the Impact Zone will be wanting to know."

Ellie was still leaning against the doorframe. She had originally intended to come here by herself; her car hadn't been parked that far away from AJ's. But fate would so have it that he come along for the ride. She still had to carry out with her original plan.

"AJ?" she said. He turned around. "Can I talk to Christian for a little bit?"

"Oh yeah, sure," he said. AJ clapped Christian on the shoulder before walking past her. Ellie walked into the room and sauntered over to his bed. A smile involuntarily spread across her face.

"How you holdin' up?" she said.

"Pretty well," Christian replied. "For the most part, I mean." She nodded once.

"How's your wife? She come to see you?" she asked.

"Nah, she's back at home," he replied. "She called though." Ellie shifted. Christian looked away briefly, then back to her. "Listen, I want to clear some rumors up. Everyone was saying that I avoided you because my wife doesn't like you, that she doesn't like that I'm spending so much time with you. But you even said it yourself—rumors are rumors. She doesn't hate you, and she doesn't mind that we spend time together. She just got a hold of rumors that we were involved, and you know…But I cleared it all up with her. Don't worry about it."

She smiled and quickly changed the subject.

"So, I don't know if you were conscious enough for the part where I made my dramatic entrance into the ring post-beat down," she said. He laughed once.

"I was," he replied. "Sorry if I was kind of unresponsive, I was in just a _little bit_ of pain."

"Yeah, and _I'm_ sorry I didn't get there in time," she continued. "I wanted to pay you back for saving me from Kong, but I just didn't get there soon enough, damnit." He held up one hand.

"Hey, no worries," he said. "Pay me back on some other day, okay? I appreciate it, though."

_It's just like everything that AJ said. They really __are__ best friends._

"But going up against Team 3D, Tomko, and Devine all by yourself? What were you thinking?"

"Simply, I wasn't."

"Makes sense, then," he said. Ellie shot him a look. He waved it off. "So how have things been since I've been gone? Anything interesting?" Ellie gave a frustrated sigh.

"The usual," she said. "My going into the ring to save you sparked more rumors, of course. Everyone's buying into them, but most people are smart enough to at least question if they're true or not, you know? But you don't mind that I tried to save you, right? You don't think I like, emasculated your or ruined everything for you or anything by doing so?"

Christian shook his head slowly. "No, I don't. Like I said, you owed me a favor and you tried to carry it through. So no, I don't mind. I don't think you emasculated me, since I said that I appreciated that you tried."

Ellie nodded. "Okay. That's it. I'm glad you're okay, too."

"Hey, Elle," AJ said, walking into the room. "You just about done? Nurse says we have to leave." Ellie glanced at Christian briefly.

"Yeah, I think that's it," she said. She joined AJ by the door.

"See you around, buddy," he said. Christian waved once to both of them and the door closed.

**.xXx.**

Christian was checked out of the hospital a few days later. He still couldn't get back into the ring for another eight days, so for the time being, he hung back by the sidelines. The whole world seemed to move past him.

Eight days came and went. Christian wasn't scheduled to fight anyone soon, but he made it clear that he wanted a rematch against the men responsible for his injuries. Another day later, and it got out that Christian Cage and AJ Styles would be going up again Brothers Ray and Devon next Thursday on Impact. Ellie joked with Christian that she wouldn't be too late this time.

The joke felt very out of place to her. Christian had a laugh about it.

Christian and AJ won the grudge match the following week. The next few months went by in the same fashion. Fighting occurred, alliances and friendships formed, and questionable people began…plotting.

Over the course of the year, Sting came out of retirement and started harping on the younger members of TNA about respect. Ellie didn't think much about the issue, and she didn't know what to think about Sting himself. He was a well-respected man, and she had seen a good deal of his fights before. She was impressed with him, but she really didn't think that this whole teach-you-about-respect thing was necessary.

Sting came back every Thursday to take about ten minutes out of Impact to talk about respect and the younger generation gone crazy. People like Samoa Joe and AJ Styles would get up in his face about it, but it never lasted long. Ellie stayed back.

Another month later, Sting defeated Samoa Joe at a Pay-Per-View to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, thanks to interference from Kevin Nash. After that, Sting and some of the veterans started getting together and talking amongst each other. Questions about these meetings spread around the Impact Zone, but no one knew what to think about it. Everyone was just…baffled.

Two weeks later and Jeremy Borash was allowed an interview with the veterans to see just exactly what they were up to. Ellie watched from her dressing room as the camera pulled back to show Kurt Angle, Sting, Kevin Nash, Booker T and Sharmell (carrying a briefcase) lounging around in a luxurious dressing room. JB kept at it with the questions, but nothing really seemed to get answered. Either that or Ellie wasn't quite listening. But she did catch something. Something along the lines of "an alliance of the greatest athletes in pro wrestling."

A few more weeks later, and the four of them debuted the fifth member of their group—Scott Steiner. Then they started being billed simply as the Main Event Mafia.

Ellie knew that nothing good could come from this.

And she was right.

The younger generation raised an uproar and came out during an Impact episode to form their own alliance. For lack of a better name, they started calling themselves the TNA Originals. A war was brewing. Everyone knew it. It hung in the air like a thick fog.

And suddenly everyone started getting on Christian's case about picking a side in this war. Why Christian? Why not anyone else? Ellie knew that he wanted to stay back in this, that he didn't _want_ to pick a side.

Ellie was backstage in the Las Vegas Impact Zone, searching for Christian. She had just arrived, and already, news were buzzing around with alarming speed. Few fights had taken place so far. From word of mouth, Ellie found out that Christian was in the ring, but he wasn't fighting.

She caught up with him a few minutes later. "Where've you been?" she asked. "I haven't seen you for a while."

"Oh, you mean you just got here?" he inquired. "Well then you just missed the most ridiculous thing I think I've ever seen."

Ellie seemed confused. "What happened?"

"That briefcase that Book's been carrying around everywhere? It's a title belt that he made up, _for himself_," Christian scoffed. "So I challenged him for it."

"You didn't."

"Of course I did! It's not even _fair_ that he can just pull this big fancy belt out of a bag and say it's his from the get-go and not even fight anyone for it," he said. "No one else seemed to notice, so I took care of it." He seemed uneasy. He started shuffling his feet.

"Is there more?" she asked.

He sighed. "Booker told me that if I lost, then I'd have to join the Main Event Mafia. I didn't agree to it, though," he added, seeing Ellie's shocked face. "But you know how persistent he can be."

"Well," Ellie said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm rooting for you." He put his hand over hers.

"Thanks," he said. "Now go win your fight already."

**.xXx.**

Ellie didn't want to fight Taylor Wilde. Taylor was one of the first friends she made when she came to TNA. But Taylor told her pre-match that she didn't want her holding back.

Which obviously meant that Taylor wasn't going to be holding back, either.

Half-way through the match, and Ellie had almost been pinned several times, kicked around more than several times, and beaten upside the head even more than that. She had gotten a few shots in at Taylor in return, but Taylor had the upper hand the whole way through. Maybe it's all of her energy, or her love for the sport. Well, Ellie was energetic. She loved to wrestle. And yet she was getting her ass handed to her.

Ellie dropkicked Taylor into the turnbuckles, and she promptly crumpled to the floor. Ellie dove at Taylor just as she was getting back up and put her opponent in a spinning facebuster. Both women collapsed onto the canvas.

She was hurting. Taylor had really done a number on her before she had been able to temporarily turn the tables. The referee started shouting out numbers. Ellie rolled onto her knees and slowly started to stand. She glanced over to her right to see that Taylor was also getting up. Ellie rushed over to her and kicked Taylor once in the stomach, causing her to double over.

Ellie had debuted her finishing move, The Icebreaker, before with rousing success. The technical name for the move was the "Electric Chair facebuster." The fans always knew that she would be doing the Icebreaker when she stood in front of her doubled-over opponent, with their head between her legs (inverted headscissors, basically). Ellie signaled that she was going to finish her off by dragging the metal sign across her neck before bending over backwards and wrapping her arms around Taylor's middle. Straightening up caused Taylor to flip over and sit on Ellie's shoulders, facing forward. At this point, Ellie would lean forward and pull down on Taylor's legs, causing her to hit the mat face first from her elevated position.

But today, Ellie just wasn't in the game.

When Taylor flipped over to sit on her shoulders, Ellie immediately knew that this wasn't going to work; her head was too far up Taylor's legs. She attempted to fix it on the way down, but it didn't work. So instead of hitting the mat hard, Taylor merely flopped over.

Taylor used this to her advantage. She locked her legs around Ellie's neck and somersaulted her over herself. Ellie hit the canvas, and then her legs were back in Taylor's hands in a pin. She tried to kick out, but Taylor had her firmly in her grasp.

"_One, two, three, and that's it."_

"_Ladies and gentlemen, here is your winner—Taylor Wilde!"_

Ellie just lay there. She couldn't say she was happy with the outcome, but it wasn't like she'd never lost a match before.

A hand appeared in front of her face. Ellie adjusted her eyes to see Taylor bent over her, hand extended. Wordlessly, Ellie took the hand and Taylor pulled her to her feet. Still holding hands, they patted each other on the back with their other hands. The announcers were saying something, but the words just buzzed by.

"No hard feelings, right?" Taylor said.

"Of course not," Ellie answered.

"Disappointed?"

Prior to this, Ellie found out that she was supposed to go up against Gail Kim, but Gail's contract expired and she jumped ship to the WWE before they had a chance to fight. "Not at all," Ellie replied. A handshake and the two of them exited the ring.

In the wrestler's entrance backstage, Ellie grabbed a towel off a shelf and dabbed at her face as she made towards her dressing room. It was true what she said. She _didn't_ have hard feelings towards Taylor. She had won fair and square. But she was still beating herself up for screwing up that Icebreaker. It also wasn't like she'd never screwed up the Icebreaker before, but she had gone into that fight with Christian's words ringing in her head.

"_Go win your fight."_

She buried her face in the towel as she walked. Upon bringing it down, she noticed Christian was leaning against the wall next to the door to her dressing room. She slowed her pace and raised an eyebrow.

_Well speaking of which…_

"Yes?"

"You lost," he said.

Ellie waved it off. "It's no big deal."

"Where was your A-game tonight? You usually don't let your guard down that much."

"I was distracted. I have a lot on my mind right now. I'm focused on my tag team match with Roxxi, I'm caught up with this stupid Main Event Mafia thing going on…there's a lot that's keeping me from 'bringing my A-game.' Besides, what's the big deal? It's not like you've never seen me lose before."

"I actually told you to go win this time, though."

She made a face at him. "Who are you, now? My coach? My manager? My inspiration and motivation? Whatever, Christian." She shoved open the door to her dressing room and slammed it shut. She dabbed at her hair with the towel.

A knock at her door. "Your motivation." Then footsteps leading away from her room.

She stood there, holding the towel to her face. Her lower lip trembled before she bit it, throwing the towel across the room. She sat down at her make-up station and gave a loud and frustrated sigh, knowing full well that he was right.

**.xXx.**

A day later and the live-circuit TV in her room blanked out. Ellie slapped the side impatiently, but all she got was static. It was still plugged in. Grumbling to herself, she wrote "have janitor/electronics guy fix TV" on a post-it note and stuck it on her mirror.

She decided that she had been neglecting her friends in the security ward, so she headed down to the wrestler's entrance to watch the fights there. Her loss last night had prompted Cornette to schedule her for another one the following week. She wasn't sure why, but maybe it was to repent for losing? Well that just put even more on her cluttered mind. Since the Main Event Mafia had formed, they set up their locker room in the same hallway that she would take to get to the wrestler's entrance. She didn't like it, and she didn't trust them. There was a foreboding cloud hanging over their door, and she had to walk through it ever time she wanted to watch the fights.

She was approaching the locker room. She had expected to walk by with no interception, no intervention, and just no problems, just like every other time she walked by.

Well, usually.

When she was several feet from the door, it swung open and Sting walked out, cutting her off. He was backing out of the room, still talking to his teammates inside.

"Yeah, okay," he said, finishing up. "Catch you guys later." He closed the door and turned, nearly jumping when he saw Ellie. They started staring each other down. She noticed that he wasn't wearing his usual ring-side face paint. In its place was a suit and sunglasses. He looked…different. It was kind of discomforting.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me," she said, trying to step around him. He moved to cut her off. She glared up at him. "_Excuse_ me."

"I couldn't help but notice your popularity with the fans has been rising since you got here," he said. "I've also noticed that you spend a lot of time with Christian Cage."

"So?"

"He's not going to pick a side," he continued. "Even if he _does_ lose to Booker T next week, the rebellious young like him won't succumb. So you know, if _he_ won't join a side, then _you'll_ have to."

She stared at him blankly.

"Um…I'm sorry, what?"

"You join a side, and he'll follow suit. Then we can get on with this battle." Ellie cocked her head.

"Okay, one, you don't need us to pick a side in order to commence with this war. Two, I don't see a point in even choosing a side in the first place. Third, I don't see a point to this war in general. As such, I chose to remain neutral."

"Well first off, yes, there is a point to this war," Sting replied. "Second, once it starts, you're going to want to be on a side. It's for the greater good." Ellie shifted her weight.

"Can't say I agree with you," she said. "But if I can ask you a question…?" He shrugged. "How is it that you and Kurt Angle and everyone else came to form this Mafia thing? Thought you guys hated each other."

He raised an eyebrow. "Do we?"

Ellie shrugged one shoulder. "You tell me. I would watch TNA fights when I was still at the WWE. And I've seen your bouts with people like Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner and Kurt. It was kind of hard not to, really. But take Kurt Angle, for instance. Why did you leave, when you were about ready to kill him, and then come back and now act like you're the best of friends?"

"Our bouts," he repeated, staring at her.

"After all he's put you through, after all you've put him through…why join up after all that?" she asked. "I've seen what he's done. I watched as he stalked and assaulted your son. I watched as you called him and his wife at-the-time the two lowest pieces of scum on the earth. I watched as you put a restraining order on her, and Kurt looked at you with the deepest of loathing." She scoffed. "And now you two are good friends? Why pick a side, Sting? Why did _you _pick a side?"

Sting lowered his head slightly, reminiscing on all the memories she has just dug up. He held up one hand. "You know, Elle—can I call you that?" She shrugged. "Elle, Kurt and I had our arguments, and we had our hard and difficult times. But we had things in common. I came back to teach the kids about respect, and he agreed with me. So we put our differences aside, and made the Main Event Mafia."

"Yeah, but after all he's done to you? Stalked your son, had his wife lie about you slapping her…it I were you, I'd be _pissed_."

"See, that's what sets you and me apart, Elle. That's our difference. You hang on to grudges and thirst for revenge," he said. "Me? I'm able to take all of my hate, my resent, and my differences with others and just push it all aside. It's still there; I still remember what he did to me. But I overcame them enough to befriend him, and really? He's not that bad of a guy. Do the same, Elle, and you'll see."

"And will that ultimately affect my decision to stay neutral?" she inquired.

He shrugged. "Might."

"Then I'll pass." She started to step around him.

"Well, then I guess I'll see you on the battlefield." He walked off. She froze.

_What the hell does __that__ mean? Can he attack a neutral party? Is he allowed to?_

She thought about what he said about seeing her on the battlefield. If it so happens that she gets caught in the middle of this war, who would come to her aid? The Originals protect their own, and the Mafia protect _their_ own. So if she's not on a side, who would help _her_? She wondered if maybe she _is_ on a side, would that guarantee _her_ protection?

"Ch, protection from _what_?" she muttered. "All I have to do is stay neutral and stay out of this."

But she couldn't help but wonder if Sting mentioned something about "the greater good" to protect her.

She shuddered and continued down to the wrestler's entrance.

End Chapter 4

So this story _definitely_ won't be just four chapters long. There's still a lot I've planned out for this.  
What's with the lack of reviews? You guys make me sad.  
Reviews, please? I'll take suggestions, ideas, comments, criticism, anything.  
: D


	5. Sympathetic

**9.9.10** i got rid of Ellie's guitar. it was one more thing i couldn't keep track of, so i got rid of it to make it easier on myself. she no longer plays the electric guitar.**  
7.13.09 RE-EDIT **changed the technical term for the Wing Crusher to "bridging Electric Chair", since that's what it actually is.  
Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm glad to see that people like my story. Oooh that makes me feel fuzzy.  
**Warnings:** fighting, odd occurings, beat downs  
**Disclaimer:** don't own TNA. Just like to watch it.  
**Reminder:** in case anyone forgot or is confused, italicized sentences inside quotation marks mean the announcers (Don West, Mike Tenay, ring announcer David Penzer) are talking.  
**Reviews and Critique:** keep 'em coming.  
long chapter up ahead!

**Chapter 5: sympathetic**

She never could get Sting's words out of her head. Ellie contemplated the double meaning, but ended up deciding that she was thinking too much about it. The days came and went, and still, she was neutral. So was Christian, for the time being. She thought again about what Sting had said, about choosing a side just to get Christian to follow. She wondered if it really _was_ for the greater good, but no, she could never do that to him.

The next time she saw Christian, she told him about what Sting had said to her. He didn't like it.

"What? Don't tell me the Mafia's picking on you too now," he said.

"They're not really picking on me," she replied. "Maybe I'm crazy, but I think it's more like Sting's trying to protect us." He was silent for a few seconds.

"That's ridiculous," Christian said. "They're just trying to be a dominating force here, but hey. You don't have to take that from them. Just let me know if any one of them decides to give you more crap, okay?"

"Sure, I guess…"

Christian walked off. She stared after him.

Once Rhino joined the Originals, he took it upon himself to give the group an official name. From then on, they started being billed as the TNA Frontline. A day later and Ellie was offered a spot along side them. Being in a war against much larger and more experienced wrestlers wasn't exactly appealing (though she didn't know who she'd be fighting, since there were no women in the Mafia aside from Sharmell, but she didn't fight). So she declined. Though she had to admit, if she ever _did_ want to be on a side, it would be the Frontline side. But being neutral seemed best. All she had to do was stay out of this war and she should be all right.

Again she was reminded of what Sting had said to her, but she ultimately decided that he couldn't attack a neutral party. She wasn't provoking the Main Even Mafia in any way, so if she just stayed back, they wouldn't have reason to attack her, right?

At least, that's what she was hoping.

Traci Brooks was walking around backstage TNA, asking around if anyone had seen Ellie. She was holding a clipboard and tapping it impatiently as she walked. Rhino said that he saw her just a few minutes ago over by her dressing room. So Traci headed over.

Ellie was lying on a couch in her dressing room, one arm draped over her eyes. She wasn't quite sure if she knew what to do about this situation she was just thrown in to. Sure, being on a side might be the greater good for her, but what was so bad about being neutral? She didn't have to take crap from Sting. She didn't have to let him play her like that.

She jumped and nearly fell off the couch when three sharp knocks sounded at her door. Ellie quickly scrambled to her feet and dove towards the door, pulling it open to reveal Traci standing just outside.

"Oh! Traci, it's you," she said, almost relieved.

"Yep," Traci replied. "I'm sure you've heard by now that you're fighting again next week." She held up the clipboard. "It's going to be against Raisha Saeed, and I'll take all precautionary measures to see to it that Kong and her crew stay in the back, since I've heard that there are some people here giving you a hard time, and I'm sure you don't need _them_ lurking in the shadows as well."

"I appreciate your concern, but it's nothing I can't handle," Ellie said, reading through the paperwork attached to the clipboard. "So. Saeed, next Thursday. Gotcha. Thanks, Traci."

"All right, have a good one," Traci said. Ellie closed her door and sighed. On one hand, she had done a lot of fighting since she arrived at TNA and hoped that she would get a break after her match with Saeed next week. And on the other hand, she wanted to use this match as an opportunity to vent all her frustration about Sting and the war, which she hoped would win her the match.

"Well if venting doesn't help me to win, I suppose I can always ask _Christian_ to say a few choice words of motivation before the fight," she muttered.

She had contacted the TV repair guy to come fix hers, but he still hadn't gotten here yet. She wanted to watch the fights, so she exited her room and headed for the backstage wrestler's entrance.

There was no interception this time.

**.xXx.**

Ellie didn't see Christian before her fight with Raisha Saeed, so he couldn't give her any "motivational words" ahead of time. She couldn't say she wanted any, since she was fairly sure that venting her frustration would be enough for her to win this fight. She wanted to say that Christian being her motivation made her angry enough to take down Saeed, since when did she ever need _motivation_? She didn't need any when she was fighting in the WWE. She was almost mad at Christian, but she couldn't say that she was.

But thinking about Christian's words to her last week fueled the fire she was using to take down Saeed. Half way through the fight, and Saeed could barely move. Ellie still had lots more to vent. She would glance over at the wrestler's entrance occasionally, half-expecting Awesome Kong or any one of the Kontourage to come out and interfere. But so far, her match with Saeed was rather straightforward. Looks like Traci carried through with her word.

She thought about Christian's words to her as she scoop slammed Saeed. She thought about Sting's words to her as she clotheslined her back down. The way Christian was so calm, so sure, so _arrogant_ to her after she lost her fight last week. Ellie put Saeed in a suplex DDT.

"_You'd think Ellie Blackwood would get the leg up on Saeed right now, I mean she's not moving. But the Ice Angel is just…she's just standing there."_

She knew that Christian didn't want to admit that Sting might be trying to protect her because of his distaste for the man, because of their previous disputes. Because he would hate to lose her to the Main Event Mafia. But if Sting was really trying to protect her, could he really be that bad of a guy?

"_Referee Earl Hebner to check on her now…"_

She felt bitter towards both men.

The referee started clapping his hands in front of her face, causing her to jump. He told her that she had to get herself back in the fight and pointed to Saeed, who was still lying on the ground, but moving around quite a bit. Ellie stepped around Earl and took Saeed by the head and pulled her up, but her hesitation has cost her.

Saeed slapped Ellie's hand away and put her in a huge scoop slam. Ellie hit the canvas and arched her back, gritting her teeth. Saeed took a come-back lap around the ring while Ellie got to her knees. She could feel the anger in her again, which helped to take her mind from the pain of being put in a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Saeed. She could still _feel_ the pain, but the anger helped to cancel some of it out.

_What would Christian say if I lost again?_

She didn't want to have to be so pissed off at him that she had to stop talking to him. So she bit through the pain and delivered a few shots to Saeeds's stomach when she picked her up by the head. Ellie grabbed Saeed's burqa and pulled her back down into a jawbreaker on the top of her head. While Saeed stumbled around, Ellie glared around to the wrestler's entrance, still empty.

"_Boy, she looks mad."_

"_You can see the anger boiling over in her…but that's odd…what's she mad about?"_

"_WOAH! Ellie Blackwood just delivered a HUGE sucker punch to the side of Raisha Saeed's head! Saeed is down!"_

"_Yet Ellie Blackwood still isn't taking the pin!"_

"_Don't tell me she's not done yet. How much more can she DO to that woman?"_

Ellie noticed that Saeed was still moving, so she pulled her back up to her feet and kicked her once in the stomach. Saeed doubled over, and Ellie turned around and put her in the inverted headscissors. She dragged the metal sign across her neck.

"_That's a sign that she's going to do a finisher of some sort now."_

"_We've just been informed that this next move is called the Wing Crusher."_

Ellie bent backwards, wrapping her arms around Saeed's middle, then straightened up to set Saeed up on her shoulders.

"_The Wing Crusher? But the set up looks just like the Icebreaker."_

She adjusted her arms, still around Saeed's middle, before falling backwards rather than forward, slamming the taller woman down to the mat back-first in a somewhat dramatic Electric Chair. Once Saeed was down, Ellie arched her back, pushing her shoulders into Saeed's legs to get them up, thus pinning her. The referee skidded over to them.

"_One…two…three, and there it is."_

"_Ladies and gentlemen, here is your winner, the Ice Angel, Ellie Blackwood!"_

Ellie rolled off of Saeed and just lay there on the canvas for a while. Cornette had put her in this fight to repent for losing last week. And she had won this week. She hoped that Cornette wouldn't schedule her again for a while; she needed a break.

The referee was holding his hand out to her. She looked at it, then to Earl before taking it. He pulled her to her feet and held up one of her arms, pointing at her with his other hand. She let her arm drop when he released her.

She really _felt_ like she had repented, like she had made up for losing to Taylor last week. All that aside, she also felt like she was making progress in TNA. She felt…kind of giddy.

Ellie jumped up onto the second turnbuckle in a corner and held up her arms to the screaming crowd. The noise, the lights, her music, the overwhelming sense of success flowing through and around her...it was _invigorating._

But it was a short-lived feeling.

It seemed like Traci's authority status couldn't keep Raisha Saeed's teammates from entering the Impact Zone while Ellie was up on the turnbuckles. So she didn't notice it when they climbed into the ring behind her. She _did_ notice them, however, when Sojourner Bolt appeared underneath her legs, locked her arms around her middle, and then powerbombed her onto the canvas from the ropes.

Ellie hit the mat awkwardly, landing on her left arm. The impact sent a sharp wave of pain through the entire limb. She grabbed at it with an angry yell. As soon as she was down, Saeed started stomping on her ribs. Ellie hadn't even had a chance to catch her breath yet. Saeed took advantage of Ellie's new injury and started putting her boots to her left shoulder. Ellie rolled onto her knees, keeping her arm away from Saeed, and the Syrian woman started to attack her back, but it was enough for her to take a five-second breather.

Rhaka Khan pulled her up by her hair. Ellie feebly clawed at her arms, and Khan forearmed her. She stumbled back two steps and lost her footing, but Khan grabbed her by the throat before she fell. The taller woman swung her towards a corner and chokeslammed her against the turnbuckles. The wind was knocked out of her for a third time. Ellie found her footing and used the ropes for support to stand. Once she was up, Khan placed her boot across Ellie's neck, using her eleven-inch height advantage to crush her windpipe. Ellie tried to scream, but no sound came out.

Khan pulled her boot off of Ellie's neck, and she collapsed to the floor. She was overcome with a wave of confusion, adrenaline, determination, and helplessness. Despite being grossly outnumbered, once she was on the ground, she could feel strength returning to her limbs.

That was rather short-lived, too.

Painfully, Ellie crawled towards the center of the ring, away from Sojourner Bolt, Rhaka Khan, and Raisha Saeed. She did this in hopes of stalling long enough to get back enough strength to retaliate. She had to wonder, though, why they weren't following her. Simply, it ended up being because crawling towards the center brought her unknowingly right in front of Awesome Kong.

She hadn't even _seen_ Kong, up until the taller woman reached down and grabbed a lock of her hair. She received another rush of adrenaline and helplessness as she was yanked to her feet and then clotheslined back down.

The referee rang the bell angrily once Ellie was pulled to her feet again. Kong had a hold of her left arm, which only added to the pain growing in it. By now, she was dazed and hurting. She wanted to think of a way to get out of this situation, but she couldn't function right now.

Kong threw Ellie into the headscissors between her legs. Ellie gripped on to Kong's outfit, trying to find a way out of this. Her fingers couldn't find a suitable or effective hold, and her grip was weak.

_Well, there's no getting out of this one, Elle._

She was flipped backwards through the air to sit on Kong's shoulders for the second time since she arrived at TNA. Kong took a few steps around the ring, ignoring the ringing bell.

She stopped walking. Ellie braced herself.

Then…the lights went out.

The crowd started _screaming._ There were occasional flashes of colored lights going off every now and then, but for the most part, Ellie was blind.

Then she found herself being tossed back down to the mat. It wasn't the Awesome Bomb; she didn't even hit the mat that hard. It was like…Kong had just _dropped_ her. Confused and unable to see, Ellie crawled towards a corner and slumped against the turnbuckles, chest heaving. She threw her arms around the ropes and tried to pull herself up, still grabbing at her injured arm. Her legs were still wobbly.

Announcers were shouting incoherently into their microphones, the fans were ecstatic, and she could hear _shuffling_ all around her. Someone was getting in or out of the ring. Amidst all the commotion, Ellie was able to wrap her left arm around the top rope, putting most of her weight on it while she tried to bring life back into her legs. Her arm was killing her. She grabbed at it with her right hand. She wondered if it would be safe to get out of the ring and make a break for it, wondering also if Kong was still in the ring or lurking somewhere else. Ellie tried to stand, and started to climb out of the ring, deciding to take her chances.

The lights turned on.

Ellie was still in the ring, so she looked around, but all she saw were black dots. Her eyes still needed to adjust. She covered her eyes with a hand to let them adjust to the sudden light and groaned. She could hear a man yelling, and at least two women yelling back. A few seconds later, Ellie opened her eyes again to a much clearer world. Her vision was still a little blurry, but she could see someone standing in front of her. The dark outline of a tall man with his back to her.

She squinted. He was wearing a dark trench coat with a familiar symbol on the back.

"Is that…?"

"_IT'S STING! IT'S STING! THE ICON CAME TO MAKE THE SAVE!"_

The crowd started cheering even louder than before. Ellie could see again. Kong and the Kongtourage were out of the ring, backing up the ramp, looking confused while Raisha Saeed and Sojourner Bolt yelled at Sting. Sting was standing in the center of the ring, glaring at them. He was in his scorpion trench coat, holding his signature black baseball bat. Ellie put her weight on her legs again as Sting turned around. He wasn't holding a microphone, which led her to believe that he wanted to talk just to her. His face was shrouded in black and white face paint, but at least she could see his eyes.

It was…_almost_ discomforting.

"How…how did you get here?" she said, quietly. He pointed towards the rafters with the bat.

"Just dropped in to see how you were doing," he said. "Looked like you needed some help back there." Ellie glared at him.

"I could have handled it."

"I'm sure you could have; you're very capable."

"_Right now it looks like they're just staring each other down."_

"_I can't believe Sting is even __here__. What would he want to save Ellie Blackwood for?"_

"But I'm sure you're _so_ appreciative that I'm here, right?" Sting said, half-grinning, holding his hand out to her. She stared at it bitterly, still holding her arm.

"_Is he asking for a handshake?"_

"_Now __there's__ an alliance for you."_

"Why are you here, Sting?" she said.

Sting lowered his hand, then leaned his bat up over his shoulder. "To show you the kind of protection you'd be getting if you chose a side." Something in the back of her head clicked.

"I knew it!" she shouted. "You came out here to recruit me! You don't care at all about my well being, you just want me to pick a side in this stupid war!" She staggered away from the turnbuckles towards him. "Well let me tell you something, _Stinger._ I, am _neutral_. Nothing you say will make me change my mind. Nothing you say will make Christian change _his_ mind. Oh, and really? I would rather you have let me get pummeled back there if I had known that you were going to come out here just to put me through _this._"

"Never said I was trying to recruit you, Elle. You sure do jump to conclusions a lot, don't you? You should be _grateful_ that I even came out here at all," he said, pointing at her. "And maybe I really _was_ concerned about your well being. Ever think of that?"

"Don't lie to me, Sting, I know your kind," she fired back, jabbing her finger in his chest. "Well, pity-rescue or not, I'm not joining the Main Event Mafia, and I'm not joining the Frontline. Heed this warning, Sting: leave me and Christian _alone!_"

"_Things are heating up now…"_

"_Man I wish I could hear what they're saying."_

He grabbed her by the wrist. "Don't touch me, Elle, or you won't have hands to fight with next week," he said calmly.

"Take your hands off me or it's going to take more than just face paint to cover up your bruises."

He adjusted his grip on his baseball bat.

Then the lights flashed, and all of the fans diverted their attention to the wrestler's entrance. Someone was walking out into the Impact Zone; she could see him. But she already knew who it was before she saw his face. His theme music was instantly recognizable, and she could just make out Christian Cage amidst all of the faux-fog and lights. He came to a stop at the base of the ramp, holding a microphone. The anger and resent she had felt towards Christian earlier was overpowered by the gratitude and relief she now felt. Christian held up the microphone. The crowd died down.

Sting didn't look too happy.

"Hey there, Elle," he said. "You look like you could use some help. Need me to come down there and get you?" As he spoke, he started taking slow, deliberate steps towards them.

"Don't you move, Christian!" Sting shouted at him. "What do you plan to accomplish by coming down here?" Christian cocked his head, placing a hand innocently on his chest.

"Oh, what do _I_ plan on accomplishing by being down there?" he repeated. "Funny, I could ask you the same thing. At first I thought you were there to save Ellie, but she doesn't look too happy to see you, now does she? Hey Elle, you need some help? He's not harassing you, is he?"

"Shut your damn mouth!" Sting yelled. "That's none of your business!"

"Oh, so you_ can_ hear me!" Christian said, surprised. "I thought for sure you had a hearing problem or something, because I'm pretty sure I heard _her_ tell you to let her _go_."

A collective "Ooo" went around the Impact Zone. Sting bit his lip, and raised his baseball bat.

"_What's he doing?"_

"_Looks like he's going to challenge Christian or something."_

Ellie knew this was as good as it was going to get. She wrenched her wrist out of Sting's hand and shoved him away from her while he was still temporarily stunned. She glared at him, holding her arm as she backed away towards the ropes, hoping that she had taken his mind off of challenging Christian.

"Stay away from us, Sting," she said, "or I'll take you on _myself_." It didn't look like he was going to say anything, so she put one leg outside of the ring. Then Sting pointed his baseball bat at her.

"What will you settle for?"

She was silent, processing this question. She didn't want to spend too much time thinking about it, so she climbed out of the ring and jumped down. She was so relieved to see Christian, she nearly ran up the ramp towards him, holding her arm. Upon doing so, she found that she had a slight limp in one of her legs, but she ignored it; it'd probably be fine by tomorrow.

Once she was about a foot from Christian, he reached out to her with one hand. She stood by his side, enabling him to put his arm around her shoulders. Ellie turned around to face Sting, placing one hand lightly on Christian's chest.

Sting had stepped up onto the second turnbuckle, glaring at them. As Christian and Ellie started to back up into the tunnel, Sting raised his bat and pointed it at the both of them. Ellie gripped Christian's shirt.

"Does that mean anything?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "Don't worry about it, though. Come on, let's get out of here." His arm still around her, he turned around the two of them together walked down the tunnel into backstage TNA.

He had noticed her limp, but she wouldn't lean on him, insisting that it would be better in no time. Instead of going to her dressing room, she wanted to get checked by one of the TNA trainers.

"What for?" he asked.

"My arm," she replied.

"Right, you've been holding it since I went out there to get you," he said, thoughtfully. "Did he do that to you?"

Ellie shook her head vigorously. "No, it was Sojo. She powerbombed me off the ropes and I landed bad. Did you see the post-match beat down?"

"No, but I heard about it," he said. "By the time I got to a TV, Sting was already out there."

Ellie was silent. "I was right, by the way."

"Hmm? About what?"

"About what he said, about trying to protect us. I was right."

"What, you actually bought in to that crap?"

"He's the only Mafia guy I trust."

"I still don't want anything to do with any of them."

They didn't speak again until they got to the trainer's room. There were three trainers and a few paramedics inside. One of the trainers walked over to her.

"Wondered if you were ever going to come," he said. "We all saw the brawl. C'mon, we'll get you checked out." She started to walk off with him, but then glanced back at Christian, still standing by the door.

"Hang on…" she said. She walked back to Christian.

He raised his eyebrows. "Yes?"

"It's probably a good thing that you came out to the Impact Zone when you did," she said. "So that's two favors I owe you now." She wrapped her good arm around him. "But thanks anyway."

He placed his hands awkwardly around her, hugging her back while finding a way around his eleven inch height advantage on her. "Get better soon, and we'll keep it at one." She started to back up towards the trainers. "See you around, Elle."

She watched as he exited the room. Smiling faintly, she walked back over to the waiting trainers and paramedics.

**.xXx.**

A day later and her leg was fine. A week later and so was her arm. She was right in that Cornette hadn't scheduled her to fight for a while, since she won her match last week. This gave her a chance to take a breather, to take a break, to have some time to herself.

She had since learned to value her down-time, since WWE and TNA both gave her so little of it. She was sitting on a couch in her dressing room, feet propped up on a table, smiling contently. Her now-fixed TV on the table was on, and she had been watching the Main Event Mafia giving Christian a talk-down. He had lost his match with Booker T, and was now supposed to join the Main Event Mafia.

He didn't.

She watched as Kurt Angle handed him a suit, then smiled slightly when he trashed it. He'd probably get another talk-down later tonight because of that.

Sure enough, later that night, the Mafia took some time out of an Impact episode to call Christian out, saying that they were going to "welcome" him into their family. He didn't look very happy. Quite to the contrary, he seemed…edgy. Once the Main Event Mafia got into the ring, Ellie left her dressing room.

Ellie couldn't understand what everyone's deal with Christian was. First he gets thrown through a glass table by Team 3D, then he gets harassed about picking a side and has to fight Booker T for his freedom, and how he's getting a very well-predicted talk-down from Kurt Angle.

She was seated in the backstage wrestler's entrance room with one security guard. The last time Christian got a talking-to from some of the beefier members of TNA, he ended up in the infirmary because she was all the way in her dressing room, and thus was unable to save him in time. She trusted the Main Event Mafia even less than Team 3D.

"_Rule number one: When we give you a suit to wear, __you wear it__," _Kurt said. Christian was just standing there, looking irritated.

_Well, they're not talking about anything important,_ she mused to herself. She still felt better being here than all the way back in her dressing room, regardless.

Ellie couldn't help but feel just a bit sorry for Christian. He didn't want to be in this situation, and the circumstances would have it that he had to pick a side in this war against his will. She didn't think he'd look that good in a suit, anyway. Did actual mafia members wear suits? She laughed through her nose.

Ellie started to absently pick at her nails. More than anything, she was focused on the scene unraveling in front of her. Kurt was still going over the rules with Christian. Nothing exciting, really. But it only took a second for things to start heating up.

"_Word has it that when your contract expires this week, you're going to jump ship to the WWE."_

Ellie snapped her head up.

_What?_ She stared at the TV monitor. _How does __Kurt__ know about this and I don't? How can __Christian__ know about this and not tell me?_

She leaned forward slightly, not daring to take her eyes off of the TV.

"_And then it occurred to me: This isn't a welcoming party…this is a __going-away__ party."_

"Oh my god, no," she mouthed. She turned to Greg, the security guard sitting with her. "Did you know about this?"

Greg shrugged. "Not till a minute ago," he said.

Well _that_ made sense. But how could Christian keep _Ellie_ in the dark about something like this? Being her first friend at TNA, she had always thought that their friendship, their trust in each other was something great enough to the point where they could confide in each other with confidence. She trusted him, and as far as she knew, he trusted her. What could he possibly be keeping this from her for?

And then Christian face-fisted Kurt Angle. Ellie jumped up.

"What the hell is he _doing?"_ she screamed. "He's going to get himself _killed!"_

"Don't jump to conclusions yet, Elle," said Greg. "He seems to be handling himself pretty well."

That was true for the time being. Christian had beaten down each of the five Mafia members and seemed to have things pretty well under control. She still didn't like the odds of this gang-up, and she caught Christian's mistake: he spent too much time taking down one Mafia member, and didn't notice the others getting up.

"Yeah, he's going to get himself killed," Ellie said. Her heart was racing. This wasn't _quite_ as lethal as the Glass Table Incident, but with all of the Mafia members taking part in the beating, it might as well be just _as_ lethal. The carnage was insane. Ellie made a mad dash for the stairs once Scott Steiner uppercutted Christian.

"Greg, get security!" she shouted, making for the ramp. "This isn't going to end well."

"Hold up, you can't go out there!" Greg shouted back.

"If you want to stop me, then _go get security!"_ She jumped up the stairs and sprinted down the tunnel towards the Impact Zone.

"_God, the Mafia is just relentless!"_

"_I mean, Christian Cage is just getting __destroyed__!"_

"_OH BUT WAIT! Here comes Ellie Blackwood again!"_

"_Boy, we've seen this before, the last time Christian Cage was in trouble!"_

A few months ago when Christian was put through the glass table, Ellie went to go see him in the hospital. He told her that he didn't mind that she had tried to save him; he didn't think her doing so emasculated him in any way, and didn't resent her at all for being too late. But when she had run out there to try and save him, it sparked even more rumors about the two of them. Christian waved it off, but had avoided her again, just like he had before. She didn't know how he did that, how he could just toss aside such rumors like they were nothing. But she didn't care. She thought that it had been worth the effort.

He said that he appreciated that she tried to save him.

So obviously he hadn't objected to being saved, and she could only hope that he would appreciate her actions once more.

Ellie was halfway down the ramp when Booker T axe-kicked him in the back of the head, and Kurt Angle started shouting at him while he laid on the canvas. When Kurt got Christian back up and put the younger man up across his shoulders, Ellie dove into the ring, slipped out of Scott Steiner's grip, dodged another grab by Kevin Nash, and was able to deliver a running dropkick to Kurt Angle's back.

Kurt arched his back and dropped Christian. The Instant Classic fell limply to the mat. But Ellie still had to take care of the other Mafia Members before they took care of her.

Still on the ground, Ellie swiped Nash's feet out from under him. When Booker T reached out to grab her, she dodged, seized his arm, and flipped him over her shoulder onto Nash. Sharmell jumped out of the ring and started screaming at Ellie. She ignored her and dropkicked Steiner in the chest, who stumbled backwards into a bewildered Sting, crushing him against the turnbuckles. Kurt Angle had gotten up, so Ellie quickly clotheslined him back down.

"_Wow, just look at Ellie Blackwood cleaning up the ring!"_

"_I didn't think a girl her size could pack such a wallop! She's like a five-foot-three nightmare!"_

Ellie spotted Sting leaned up against the turnbuckles, Steiner lying beside him. She pointed at him, making sure she got his attention.

"I told you to leave Christian alone," she said. "I carried through with my word."

"I had nothing to do with this," he replied, hoarsely.

She turned away from Sting and back to the matter at hand. She had just taken down all five Mafia members single-handedly. That was a pretty big accomplishment, and the crowd was going _wild_. Ellie really wanted to showboat a little bit, but she had to remind herself why she was there.

She quickly knelt down by Christian, taking his face in one of her hands. His eyes were clamped shut.

"Christian? It's me, Ellie," she said.

"Elle?"

"Yes, I'm here." She sounded relieved.

He loosely grabbed at her wrist. "Get out of here."

"What?" She was taken aback. He had told her that he didn't mind her trying to save him last time. He _hadn't_ told her not to do it again. She was just trying to clear her favor with him. She figured he'd be okay with it if she did.

So why was he telling her to leave? She couldn't imagine him being ungrateful for her being there, _almost_ on time.

She looked around. The Mafia members were starting to get up. Where was security? Where was the Frontline? Were they not coming because Christian wasn't a part of their organization? Because _she_ wasn't? She had to get him out of there.

"Christian, we have to go," she urged.

"No, _you_ leave," he said, eyes still squeezed shut in pain. "Not…much time…Go!"

"I don't…what—?"

"_Hurry!"_

When Ellie felt a pair of strong hands grab her by the shoulder and wrench her to her feet, she realized that not only was she there to save Christian, he in turn was trying to save _her_. Because two seconds later, she found herself lying across Kurt Angle's shoulders. He started to fall backwards.

"_OH MY GOD! KURT ANGLE JUST PUT ELLIE BLACKWOOD IN THE ANGLE SLAM!"_

"_Can he DO that?"_

"_Oh no, and how he just put Christian Cage in the Angle Slam as well! This is just too much!"_

Ellie knew that the Angle Slam was a powerful move just from watching Kurt's fights on TV. She figured that the guys were just tough enough to take and pain, bite through it, and kick out half of the time. Well the guys _must_ be made of sterner stuff, because Ellie didn't even have the strength to grab her throbbing head.

She had to question why she was here. It was _supposed_ to be to save Christian, but he ended up getting put in the Angle Slam, which she had previously tried to save him from. So what was the point of trying to prevent the Angle Slam if he was just going to get put through it anyway, and then get hurt herself?

Sting pointed at the both of them last week. She had asked Christian if he knew what it meant. Well, this must have been it.

She couldn't move. She was lying limply on the mat, eyes squeezed shut, her limbs splayed out like they were when she had hit the canvas and bounced once. She tried not to move, fearing that the pain would cause her to pass out. The crowd screaming, the announcers' commentary, and Kurt Angle bent over her shouting things in her face all buzzed by her ears noisily and incoherently.

"You have been nothing but trouble to us!" Kurt shouted at her. "Think twice the next time you try to save your precious boyfriend, Blackwood! Don't _ever_ mess with the Main Event Mafia again!"

She could barely hear him.

"_Where's security?"_

Amidst all the chaos, amidst all the noise, amidst all the pain, Ellie _could_ feel something. Another hand had taken a hold of hers. Softer, gentler this time. She lolled her head in the other direction, nearly blacking out, but she managed to stay with this new feeling and open her eyes a crack. Through the black spots that clouded her vision, she could see that the Main Event Mafia had lined up, stepping over her body, linked hands and held up their arms victoriously.

And then there was Christian. He was lying on the ground next to her, one hand grabbing hers tightly, the other clutching at the back of his head just as firmly. He had his face buried in between his arms, looking as if he was going to rip his hair out.

"Elle…" he groaned. "You're an _idiot."_

Sting looked down at her almost sympathetically.

She blacked out.

Almost.

End chapter 5

What a chapter! Sorry if it was kind of long.  
I want to clear up any confusion regarding the last few lines. The "almost" at the end refers to Sting, not Ellie. she _did_ pass out, but he looked at her _almost_ sympathetically. So that's what it means,in case anyone was wondering.  
I'll take reviews or crit, click on that little green button,_ please_.


	6. Eyes Open

Awesome! Thanks for the reviews, guys. I like knowing that people read my story.  
**Warnings:** random beat downs, an actual fight, angry talk downs.  
**Disclaimer: **don't own TNA and stuff  
**Notes: **I don't know if this is relevant at all, but the opening scene takes place before Destination X 2009, thus before Mick Foley goes all crazy weird. In fact, this is even before Against All Odds, which would put this story thus far in like, late January/early February 2009…if anyone cares.**  
Reviews and Crit:** yes, please

**Chapter 6: eyes open**

When Ellie came around, Christian wasn't there. Truth be told, she wasn't quite sure where she was herself. She didn't immediately recognize her surroundings, and when she came to, she closed her eyes again and just lay where she was. There were people standing around her, talking. She could hear them, but couldn't differentiate between them. Who was who?

She opened her eyes.

Well she wasn't in her dressing room. Wherever she was, it was dim. Upon trying to sit up, she found that she was very lightheaded. The voices stopped at once.

"She's awake!"

Someone hurried over to her and placed their hand on the side of her head. Ellie squinted.

"Traci?"

"Yes," she replied. "Try to take it easy. You took quite a beating out there."

Ellie took a look around. This room was familiar to her, but just barely. As for people present, Traci Brooks wasn't the only one there. With her were Jim Cornette, Jeff Jarrett, Mick Foley, and at least two paramedics.

"Which is exactly why you don't go out into a ring full of angry guys in the _first_ place," Cornette said, throwing his hands up. Jeff placed a hand on Cornette's shoulder.

"Calm down, Jim," he said. "She was just trying to protect Christian."

"Yes, and look at where it got her."

Mick nodded his head towards Ellie. "How do you feel?"

Ellie contemplated this. She couldn't think straight right now, but managed to produce an answer. "Like crap."

Mick laughed. "Sounds reasonable."

She groaned. "Where am I?"

"In the medical wing, backstage," Jeff answered. "You've been out for at least ten minutes."

She could vaguely remember what happened. Christian was getting a talk down, which was followed by a beat down. She went out to the ring to try to save him…then she's _here_ suddenly, head throbbing mercilessly.

_Speaking of which…_she thought.

"Where's Christian?"

"Don't worry about him, he'll be fine," Jeff said. "Surprising though, that he took a much heavier beating than you did, and he's already up on his feet. He's very resilient."

"Well, that's 'cause he's used to it," Ellie said.

She couldn't say she understood. She was there for Christian as soon as he got visitor time in the hospital. She didn't know why he wouldn't return the favor. Maybe she was expecting too much of him. Or maybe it was that he was confined somewhere, or off with other people concerned about his well being.

Maybe she was just being too hopeful.

"You sure you're okay?" Jeff asked, kneeling beside her. It occurred to her just then that she was lying on a couch. She wasn't quite okay yet.

"Dunno," she answered simply. "I'm still…a little slow to catch up on things."

"It'll pass, trust me," he said.

A paramedic walked over to her holding a bottle of water. "Now, I want you to stay out of that ring for a while. You can't take any more hard beatings until you've recovered."

Ellie took the water from him. "Can't do that," she said. "I have to get back at Kurt."

"In time, Ellie," Jeff said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Right now, you just rest up. Let _us_ deal with Kurt."

Ellie stared at him. "Fine. But it's not going to stay that way forever."

A voice from outside called out "We've got another one!" Everyone looked towards the door, and two paramedics supporting Roxxi rushed inside. She had her arms over each of them and was using them as crutches and she hopped along on one foot. Ellie tried to stand, but Jeff pushed her back down.

"Roxxi!" she cried. "What happened?"

"Nothing too exciting," she answered. "Just had a fight with Angelina. I won, but I hurt my ankle in the process."

"You had a fight and I missed it?" Ellie said quietly, disappointed.

"Ellie, you were passed out," Traci said.

"All right, fine. All that aside, you okay, Roxxi?"

"I will be. Hey, I know we were supposed to train together this week, but this damn ankle's going to put me out for a while. Sorry about that, Elle."

Ellie was speechless for a few seconds. "Don't worry about it. We'll find time to train before our tag team match."

"Which won't be for a while," Cornette said, stepping between them. "Neither of you can fight in your current condition. I'm postponing your tag team match."

"Jim, I'll be _fine!_" Ellie protested.

"You, maybe so," Cornette said. "But Roxxi won't be. She's going to be out for a while."

"For how long?"

One of the paramedics had sat Roxxi down in a chair across the room and was rolling out her ankle. "A few weeks, maybe a month. It doesn't look serious, that's the good news. Still, I want her to take it easy for say, a month."

"A month," Ellie repeated.

"Bummer," Roxxi said. "Hey, how are _you_ doing? I heard Kurt put you in the Angle Slam. Sounds painful."

"I'll live," Ellie replied. "You just hurry up and get better, you hear?"

"You too."

Traci helped Ellie to stand up. Roxxi was bandaged, checked out, given a crutch, and sent along her way. Ellie suggested that since they couldn't train together, maybe they could talk and analyze technique. Roxxi liked the idea.

They both took ten minutes to change into casual clothes before meeting back in the halls. Ellie just took the time to freshen up, and then called the camera guys backstage. She wanted to know if she could get a video of Roxxi's latest fight, and they said that they'd deliver it to her as soon as they could.

Ellie caught up with Roxxi a few minutes later.

"Feelin' all right?" Ellie asked.

"I've had worse," Roxxi said, leaning on her crutch. "I just have to stay off this ankle for a while and I should be fine. How 'bout you, how are you holding up?"

"I think I'm as okay as I'll ever be," she replied.

"So what'd you have in mind?"

"Well, getting Angle Slammed made me kind of disoriented, but I woke up pretty hungry," Ellie said. "Want to go somewhere close by and grab a bite to eat? We can talk about tag team technique."

"What, you've never tag teamed before?"

"A few times, but mostly I was a singles wrestler back in WWE," Ellie said.

"Well, that sounds good to me," said Roxxi.

"Great. I'll drive," Ellie said. As the two of them started towards the parking lot, exchanging small talk, Ellie noticed a change in Roxxi's appearance for the first time.

"Hey, you look different," she said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I can't tell why I haven't noticed before, but you have more hair."

"It came back slowly."

"And…you have a lip ring."

"The Hardcore Knockout needs it," she said, smirking.

"The _what_?" Ellie said, stifling a laugh.

"My new nickname, and I didn't even pick it myself," Roxxi said. "Some people decided that what with all the shit I've been through and the way I'm still coming back for more, I deserved it."

"It's well placed," Ellie said. "Congrats."

"Roxxi! Ellie!"

Both women turned around and the sound of their names. At the other end of the hall, Christy Hemme was jogging towards them, looking relieved.

"That was some crazy stuff that went down tonight," she said. "How are you two holding up?"

"We're off and on," Ellie said. "Roxxi's out for a month, and I'm still a bit slow on things."

"I'd imagine," Christy said. "I can't believe Kurt would even do something like that. You're not going to let him get away with that, are you?"

"Oh, god no," Ellie laughed. "In time, I will get even with him."

"That's the spirit," Christy said, smiling. "Sucks though that you two can't tag team together for a while."

"Hey," Roxxi said, pointing at her. "It's gonna happen."

"Can't wait," Ellie said. "Hey Christy, it occurs to me that I haven't really had the chance to get to know you since I came here. Roxxi and I were about to go out to get something to eat. You want to come with?"

Christy sighed, folding her hands over her stomach. "Dear god, yes."

"Totally sweet," Ellie said, pulling her car keys from the pocket of her jeans. "Let's go."

**.xXx.**

"Ellie Blackwood, if I could just get a word with you…?"

A week later and Ellie was walking down the halls of backstage TNA to her dressing room when a familiar voice rang out. It was Lauren, the designated Knockouts interviewer. The wrestlers were starting to get annoyed with her and Jeremy Borash, the other interviewer, and would often dodge her if given the chance. Ellie liked to say that she was above that.

She turned around. "Sure, Lauren."

Lauren moved to stand beside her, holding up a microphone while the cameraman followed. "Ellie, I think everyone wants to hear your thoughts following the Main Event Mafia's beat down on not only Christian Cage, but on you as well."

Ellie mulled this over. "I'd say my thoughts are pretty damn obvious. Who wouldn't know what I'm thinking right now? Lauren, I'm pissed. I went out there to save Christian from a senseless beat down, and I became their latest hit. I don't know where Kurt gets off thinking that he can put his hands on me, but there's going to be hell to pay."

"What do you mean, you actually intend to get revenge on Kurt Angle?"

"Of course I do! Jeff assured me that I'd get payback, and I'm going to hold him to that."

"Okay, and what's going to happen with your feud with the Beautiful People now that your tag team partner Roxxi is injured?" Lauren inquired.

"There's no getting around it," Ellie said. "Our grudge match has to be postponed until Roxxi gets better. Shame though that I can't deal with those skanks sooner—."

Ellie was cut off when Angelina Love and Velvet Sky dropped in out of nowhere, blind sighted her, and attacked her from behind. Lauren jumped back, screaming at them to stop before Kip James pushed her out of the way, throwing her microphone down the hall.

Angelina grabbed Ellie by the hair and threw her face-first into the wall. The impact knocked some pictures off the wall, and she stumbled backwards clutching her face. Velvet kicked her in the back, sending her into the wall a second time.

"_You think this is funny?"_ Velvet screamed at her as she crumpled to the floor. "How'd you like to end up like _Roxxi_?"

Kip picked her up by the hair, leaving her open for Angelina to drive her boots into her ribs. Ellie gave a pained scream and fell back to the floor.

"Who're the goddamn skanks now, you ugly bitch?" Angelina shouted. Both women starting stomping on Ellie's ribs as Kip handed a paper shopping bag to Angelina.

Again, the bag never came.

Ellie glanced up briefly.

On the opposite wall, Roxxi was beating her fists into the side of Angelina's head, her crutch lying on the ground beside her. Velvet grabbed Roxxi's head and pulled her off of Angelina, but then Christy came barreling from around the corner and tackled Velvet. The four women started brawling while Ellie tried to stand. Kip James was across from her, trying to decide what to do. Ultimately, he grabbed Christy by her long red hair, yanking her away from Velvet.

Ellie pressed herself against the wall, trying to stand. She shuffled over towards Kip. Once she was within grabbing distance of him, she seized him by the arm and whirled him around. Mustering up all the strength she had left, she delivered a dropkick to his chest, sending him into Velvet and releasing Christy. Roxxi dumped Angelina on top of Kip and Velvet before hobbling back over towards Christy and Ellie, leaving Lauren and the cameraman confused and bewildered. Roxxi and Christy helped Ellie up.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Roxxi said.

"My dressing room's around the corner," Ellie said, her voice raspy.

"I have a better idea," said Christy. "Ellie, you and I are going to go see Cornette."

**.xXx.**

Ellie wasn't the only one who was sick of the Beautiful People and their antics. The two of them had also assaulted Christy on an earlier date, but Christy was able to deliver payback. She wanted Ellie to have that opportunity as well.

Turns out, Christy took Ellie to see Cornette to arrange a tag team match for later that night. The three of them (including Roxxi), had discussed tag team techniques during their outing and the unfortunate event of Roxxi getting injured. But Christy decided that Ellie's original tag team partner being out was no excuse for her not to practice.

Ellie and Christy were scheduled to tag team against Angelina and Velvet during Impact that night.

Her arm started acting up again, conveniently twenty minutes before her fight. Ellie sighed and walked towards the medical wing, holding her arm the whole way. Two weeks ago, she had been checked out when Christian took her to see the trainers and they said that there was nothing wrong with her arm and that she just landed on it bad. But since it was hurting now, there was a chance that there had been some nerve damage. Ellie refused to back down from this match, and told the trainers to give her some meds and a brace or she'd powerbomb them onto a table of hypodermic needles.

She was promptly given painkillers and an arm brace.

Both helped to relieve the pain for the time being. After leaving the medical wing, she meant to head back to her dressing room to finish preparing, but found herself just wandering around the halls. It took her a while to realize that she was looking for Christian. Once she realized that, she swiftly turned around and headed back to her dressing room.

She didn't see him before her fight.

She didn't see him after her fight.

Ellie and Christy won the match when Ellie put Angelina in an Icebreaker. She came out the victor, but ended up doing more damage to her arm. The trainers effectively forced her to sit out for about two weeks, despite the near carry-though of the hypodermic-needle-table-powerbomb threat. She was given more painkillers and the brace remained where it was.

Angelina had demanded a rematch with Ellie as soon as she recovered from the aftermath of the Icebreaker. A one-on-one grudge match in two weeks, once Ellie's arm was better. Ellie accepted without further consideration.

**.xXx.**

One week later, Ellie was feeling considerably better, but that might just have been the painkillers messing with her head. She was positive she'd be able to take on Angelina the next week. This made her optimistic despite recent bleak happenings, such as her arm injury and the outage of her initial tag team partner.

Her injury had forced her to sit out for a while, so she couldn't do much but confine herself to her dressing room at watch the night's scheduled matches. The war between the Frontline and the Main Event Mafia was rapidly escalating, and for the last few weeks, Team 3D was putting forth their disdain for the Mafia's actions. Brother Ray was fighting Kurt Angle tonight. A while ago when Ellie had intervened in Team 3D's post-match beat down on Christian Cage, there had been a lot of yelling and arguing between her and Brothers Ray and Devon. She had since made amends with them upon befriending the Frontline, and felt obliged to watch Ray's fight tonight because of that.

Ellie had been walking around backstage TNA looking for Roxxi. She had another fight in a week, and wanted to go over fighting strategy and technique with the Hardcore Knockout, since _her_ last fight was against Angelina. From asking around, it seemed that Roxxi went home for a few days to heal up. From asking around, it also seemed that it was because her ankle had been acting up recently. She would be back in a few days. Ellie decided it would be best not to call or email her and be all stalkerish, and decided to just wing the fight next week. She had gotten by plenty of times without anyone else's help before, so there was no reason she couldn't do the same next week.

She had been walking around backstage in a futile attempt to locate Roxxi, but so turns out that she found a much more interesting character instead. Moments ago, she had been watching Kurt Angle's match against Brother Ray. Once the fight went backstage and the rest of the Main Event Mafia got involved, she had decided that she couldn't watch anymore and left her dressing room to find Roxxi. So when she was walking around the halls, it almost surprised her to see Sting walking towards her. She stopped where she was and cocked her head at him a little bit. She couldn't see his eyes from behind his sunglasses, so she couldn't tell if he was looking at her or not, or what he was feeling. It was so discomforting.

He passed her by wordlessly. Not even a quick stop to apologize, to repent, to explain what had happened last week. Kurt had Angle Slammed her, then stood over her as he held his hands up victoriously. Right before she passed out, she saw Sting look down at her with a hint of sympathy on his face. Maybe her vision had been impaired at the time, but it sure damn looked like it.

_I can't be crazy…right?_

But then again, he _did_ save her from a beat down by Awesome Kong, among other things. She wanted to say that he wasn't that bad of a guy, but he didn't make an effort to stop Kurt from attacking her. So he'll save her from Kong, but not from Kurt? What made Kurt so special? She placed a hand on the back of her head, still throbbing a little bit.

"Sting?"

They both turned around at the same time. Sting slung his title belt over his shoulder and shifted his weight. It wasn't easy to read his expression, but it seemed like he knew why she had stopped him. Ellie placed her hands loosely on her hips. They were silent for a while. At least three security guards rushed past them towards the backstage area as they stared each other down.

"Where're you goin', Sting? Thought you would want to be a part of the carnage," Ellie said, jabbing her finger over her shoulder. Sting shrugged one shoulder.

"Not my style," he said.

"Could've had me fooled," she replied, bitterly. He knew instantly what she was talking about.

"I had no part in what happened last week," he said. "I was not responsible for Kurt's actions. I'm sorry for what happened to you Ellie, and if it makes you feel any better, I can't say I approve of what he did."

There was anger in her, she could feel it. That was it? He'll apologize for what happened to her, but not for what happened to Christian? She gritted her teeth and composed her expression. "It doesn't. and you didn't seem to object much when they were beating up on Christian, though."

"Things got out of hand," Sting replied, simply.

"And I guess now you're going to say that you didn't mean for that to happen either?"

"I didn't mean for a lot of things to happen."

"Like coming back?" she said. "Before I got here, I heard that you had retired. And yet here we are."

"People make decisions based on the necessity of the situation that calls for it," Sting replied. "The younger generation was acting out, and no one was teaching them to respect the veterans. That's why I'm here. And I hear _you're_ on a similar quest yourself. Isn't that why _you're_ here?"

"Word gets around quickly, it seems," Ellie said. "I'm on a _similar_ quest, but at least I don't go out on hits."

"I don't mean for a lot of things to happen," he said again.

"And how nice of you not to partake on these hits," Ellie said, pointing down the hallway. Sting held up one hand and half-shrugged. "Though I notice you make up for it in other ways. I've seen your fights with AJ, with Rhino…" She had watched Sting's last fight against Rhino. She couldn't get The War Machine's bloody face out of her mind.

Sting shrugged again. "You do what's necessary. You know that, right? I saw your first fight with Kong."

"The bloodletting I did was not severe, and if you'll recall, she was up on her feet in two minutes tops," Ellie said. "Sting, what are you getting at? If you're trying to tell me that we have things in common, you're wrong." Sting glanced at the ground and shifted his title belt. "You're not trying to recruit me into the Main Event Mafia, are you?"

"You do what you have to."

Ellie stared at him, incredulously. Slowly shaking her head, she said, "No…you don't. Sting, I don't believe you. This is what, the second time you've tried to recruit me? Look, you can beat me up all you want, you can threaten me, taunt me, what have you. It's not going to change my mind. I know your intentions are good, but…I just—." She shook her head, sighing. "Things are falling apart. I've seen you guys take down AJ, Rhino, Petey Williams, and now Brother Ray…Sting, you say you do these things to teach us about respect, but how often do _you_ respect _us_?"

There was nothing more to say. There was nothing she _could_ say. She didn't know how to feel, what to feel…there was certainly anger in her with an underlying tone of resent. Sting used to be one of the only decent and noble men in this business. She felt like he had lost that.

She turned around and left.

End Chapter 6

There's still a long way to go before this story's done. So much for it being just three or four chapters XD.  
I do hope you'll all stick with me until then. in the meantime, reviews, please!


	7. Departure

This is going to be pretty long. A lot of stuff is going into this chapter, and was supposed to be longer, but I put the original ender into the beginning of the next chapter. Excited? Of course you should be—it involves AJ.  
**Warnings:** no real fighting in this chapter. Brace yourself for a cute fluff ending.  
**Disclaimer:** don't own TNA, I own Ellie though, so there.

**Chapter 7: departure**

In the restroom, Ellie splashed water on her face and sighed. She had both hands on the sink and was leaning heavily on it. Moments ago, she had left Sting standing in the hallway backstage after a less than pleasant discussion. She didn't know how he'd feel regarding their conversation, but knowing him and what he's suddenly become, he'd probably just shrug it off and change nothing. Ellie, on the other hand, was overcome with indiscernible emotions. Among the more profound were anger, frustration, disappointment, and resent. She hadn't expected this when she came to TNA. If she had known this was going to happen, she wouldn't have come here.

She felt like she could cry.

She dabbed at her face with a paper towel. Chucking it into the trash can, she kicked open the door.

AJ Styles was heading down the hall towards the backstage area, quietly humming to himself as he scrolled through messages on his cell phone. The door to the women's restroom swung open suddenly, nearly hitting him. Instinctively, he jumped away, almost dropping his phone, though effectively dodging the door. He spun around, ready to slate whoever it was that opened the door. Ultimately, he decided against it once he saw Ellie walking down the hall away from him.

He glanced down the opposite way towards his destination, and then back to Ellie. Something clicked in his head, as the sight of her reminded him of why he was wandering in the halls in the first place.

"Hey, Elle!"

She turned, almost surprised to see him. She had been so lost in her own thoughts, she had kind of forgotten that there were other people in the building. Upon seeing AJ, memories of what had happened before she confronted Sting rushed back into her head. Suddenly, she became almost panicked. She stuttered as she tried to compose herself.

"Brother…Brother Ray?"

"The paramedics already took him away," AJ said. "He should be fine in no time. You okay? You seem…upset."

Should she tell him about her talk with Sting? Would he pull a Christian on her and become the defensive older brother? She bit her lip.

"I'm fine."

AJ nodded slowly, unsure. "Well, if you say so." A short pause. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"If you want."

"The guys and I are going to have a drink out backstage," he said. "Maybe you'd like join us?"

She half-smiled. "No, thank you. I've got a lot on my mind. Not quite sure if I'm in the mood…but thanks anyway." She started to walk away. AJ took a step towards her, racking his brain for something to say.

"Christian will be there," he said. Ellie slowed to a stop.

"What? He's still here?" she said, almost cynically. "I thought he quit already."

"Well one, he didn't quit, his contract expired. Two, he's hanging around for a while, so that's why he's still here," AJ answered. "Come join us, Ellie. He wants to see you."

"That's supposed to _encourage _me?" she said, raising her eyebrows at him. AJ sighed and set his jaw.

"Look, I know you're mad at him; he said you might be—."

"Oh just for the record, that's not why I'm upset."

"Noted. Now, I know you're mad at him, but I'm asking you to put your resent aside for just one hour and come have fun with us. It's his last week here, and don't even _try_ to tell me that you won't beat yourself up if you miss this opportunity to see him one last time."

"_What?_ After what he _did_?"

"If you're talking about why he wasn't there when you woke up, it was because he was with us. We were worried about him and had him kind of occupied, so if you're going to be mad at anyone, be mad at me. But come join us, if not to be with the Frontline, then to be with Christian."

She was silent.

"C'mon," he said. "After all the craziness that's been going down, you could use a drink."

Ellie closed her eyes and sighed, poring over her new conflict. She was almost cynical towards AJ now, and cynical still towards Christian. And what of her issue with Sting? Revealing it to the Frontline would only intensify this war, which was the last thing she wanted. But she reminded herself that she didn't _have_ to tell them about it. Ignore the situation, go have drinks with people, and just have a good time.

_It's not that hard, Elle._

She smiled faintly. "All right."

He held his hand out to her as she approached him, placing his hand on her shoulder when she caught up. She smelled an air of humble victory about him, but really, she was only going so she could talk to Christian. She was quite aware that she had been avoiding him. A childish feat on her part, she decided. AJ said that he and the guys had Christian occupied when he recovered from the Main Event Mafia hit, but somehow, she just wanted to hear it from the Instant Classic himself.

The trip backstage was a slow one, and at times, it was almost awkward. Ellie appreciated that AJ didn't try to force small talk, didn't pry, or try and ask her how she was or why she was upset.

It was nice to unwind after all of…_that_.

There were folding tables and chairs set up behind the trailers backstage, outside behind the Impact Zone. About forty feet away was the dumpster that Brother Ray had been thrown into and discarded after the Mafia had decided that they were done with him. It was a displeasing feeling, just looking at that dumpster.

Speaking of Brother Ray, she didn't see him among the table full of people, and wondered absently when he would be back. Not for a while, since AJ just told her that he just got taken away. The whole Frontline was there, save for Ray, Petey Williams, Samoa Joe, Rhino, and the Motorcity Machine Guns. She figured (rather, she _knew) _that they were all absent due to Mafia-related injured. Well, except for the Guns, of course. She wondered aside to herself when they would get back.

"Oh, there she is," said Eric Young. The rest of the Frontline averted their attention from each other.

"Hey, AJ, you found her!" ODB said, raising her hip flask. Ellie glanced at AJ.

"Was I expected?"

"You could say that," Christian said, appearing suddenly beside her. "I suggested that you come join us, but I knew you wouldn't come if _I_ invited you, so I sent AJ to find you. And don't worry, I didn't mean to trick you," he added, seeing her offended expression. "I figured that you've been through a lot, why not relax for a while?" He held a bottle of beer out to her. She eyed it, bitterness boiling over inside her.

_Calm down, Elle, it's fine,_ she thought. _Remember what AJ said, you can talk to Christian later. Just enjoy yourself for now._

"I've got a week to spare," she said, taking the bottle and sitting down. Smiling, Christian and AJ took a seat on either side of her.

She didn't talk much. Most of the time, the Frontline discussed issues regarding their feud with the Main Event Mafia, and who should fight who for what. It seemed like AJ was rather partial to Booker T and the Legends Championship. Fallen comrades were also discussed. People were still talking about the latest Frontline/Mafia conflict: AJ Styles and Samoa Joe were put in a cage match against Kevin Nash and Sting. The fight was won when AJ climbed out of the cage and landed on the mat outside the ring, but the real conflict arose when the cage opened and the Mafia, armed with a steel folding chair and a lead pipe, locked themselves inside with Samoa Joe.

Joe would be out for a while.

Brother Devon gave an update on Brother Ray, saying that he would be back in maybe a month. Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed were expressing disdain with the Motorcity Machine Guns, Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, and were considering requesting a tag team match against them soon.

Ellie didn't feel much like she really belonged there. She and Christian were the only two present who weren't a part of the Frontline, so the two of them just sat there, slightly outcasted. Ellie was offered a spot in the Frontline again, and once more, she declined. Christian looked as if he was going to urge her to accept the offer, but took a drink instead. She didn't ask anything about it.

The members of the Frontline slowly scattered. When they were almost alone, Christian asked her if she had been avoiding him. Ellie claimed that she had been busy. He detected untruth in her words, but didn't question her further.

They didn't talk again that week.

**.xXx.**

It was Thursday again. Impact was being held in good ol' Orlando, Florida once more. Ellie was supposed to fight Angelina Love tonight. Her arm was better, for the most part. She had taken the brace off a few days ago and stopped taking the painkillers. The paramedics wanted to tell her to take it easy for another week, but she opened up a new threat on them (this time, involving a faceplant and thumbtacks) and they immediately let it go.

Impact had just started. The schedule tonight had been all worked out and was proceeding as planned. She was leaned up against the wall facing the wrestler's entrance. There was supposed to be a fight coming right up, but Ellie was frustrated. Last week, she had drinks with the Frontline. She wanted to tell Christian about the talk she had with Sting backstage, but ended up holding it in, though she well knew that it had to come out some time.

And that time was now.

She headed out to the ring, going through the backstage entrance rather than the wrestler's entrance. This wasn't on the schedule tonight, and would probably get chewed out by Cornette later on for this, but she felt that this was necessary.

Mike Tenay and Don West were sitting at their table, wrapping up the fight that just took place and discussing the next pay-per-view event. They were about to go over the fights that were to take place tonight, but cut off when Ellie showed up suddenly.

"We're joined now at the broadcast table by the Ice Angel, Ellie Blackwood," said Tenay. "I wasn't expecting this, what're you doing he—?"

"Mike, shut up," Ellie snapped, grabbing a microphone. They said more things as she made her way up the steel steps to the ring, but she didn't notice.

"_You can see the look of anger on the face of the Ice Angel now._"

"_Makes you wonder what she has to say."_

Ellie climbed into the ring and sauntered towards the center. She put a hand on her hip and stared at the mat, anger clouding her vision. She mulled over what she was going to say, wondering idly if she was overreacting. Whether that be the case or not, there was no turning back now.

"Sting, could you come out here, please," she said into the microphone. She lowered it to her side and waited. The crowd was giving her a mixed reaction. The announcers were bewildered.

"_And now the Ice Angel is asking for the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Sting. An interesting confrontation is about to happen here, now."_

"_What on earth could Ellie Blackwood have to say to Sting? If you ask me, she's been less than grateful to him. He saves her from a beatdown by the Kongtourage, and now she's up there, calling him out with the look of death in her eyes."_

Ellie was becoming impatient. How much longer would she have to listen to those two flap off their mouths about her before Sting arrives?

"_This is quite an unusual request, and unusual __sight__. When have one of the Knockouts ever asked to talk to a Superstar in the ring before?_"

The lights went out and the guitar-shredding music of Dale Oliver's "Slay Me" started blasting. Ellie took a few steps back, and out came Sting, dressed in his formal business suit and dark sunglasses, his title belt resting on his shoulder, one hand clutching a microphone. Their eyes locked and the stare-down began as he descended the ramp.

"_And here comes the world heavyweight champion now."_

Ellie set her jaw as Sting climbed into the ring and the lights came back on. She felt almost compelled to take a few more steps back away from him, but she held her ground. Upon analyzing him, it seemed like he was confused for the most part, but ultimately knew why he was there. Maybe his sunglasses were impairing her ability to analyze his expression accurately.

And how nice of him it was to come to the ring alone, though she well knew that the rest of the Main Event Mafia was lurking in the shadows somewhere backstage. So the Mafia was going to come to his aid in the event that he wanted to shut her up, but who was going to come to _her_ aid? She really wanted to speak her mind, but it was extremely likely that one wrong word could put her back up on Kurt Angle's shoulders.

Or worse…

The two wrestlers had been glaring each other down since he had gotten into the ring. Nothing was going to get accomplished if they just stood there playing the Staring Game. The fans were waiting on her. The announcers weren't going to shut up unless she said something. She held up the microphone again.

"Sting, I'll bet you already know why you're here," she said. The crowd died down. "We talked about you know, respect before, but apparently you didn't hear me or pay attention or what have you, because one week ago," she swung her arm around, "I watched from the back as your accomplices locked themselves in that cage with Samoa Joe, and tossed the key." She let out an angry sigh and took two steps towards Sting, who hadn't moved. "One week ago, I watched as your accomplices put Samoa Joe's arm in a steel folding chair, and hit it till it _fractured_."

Sting shifted his weight.

"Three weeks ago, I said to you in the back, that you _talk_ a lot about respect, but don't really do anything to enforce or accomplish it. And then I asked you how often you guys respected _us_," she said, her voice rising. "And guess what!" She turned to face the fans. "_I didn't get an answer."_ The crowd erupted. She spun around to look at Sting again. "Have you ever stopped to think that maybe this war, wouldn't have to _be_ a war at all if the veterans, just stood to respect the younger generation too? Look at _me_, Sting, _look_ at me!" She held out her arms. "I'm a respectful person! The way I was raised, where I come from, the way _I_ see it…I'll respect you if you respect me." She started taking a slow lap around the ring. "I don't have anything against you, specifically, Sting. Just what you do. Ask yourself what you've _become_. How much respect are you showing the younger generations by what you've been doing? What happened to the old Sting, the Sting who wouldn't stand for contempt like this?"

Sting held up his hand. "Lemme stop you right there, Elle," he said into his own microphone. "The last time I checked, you still haven't picked a side yet. So as far as I'm concerned, this isn't your war to fight. Am I right? You're relatively new here still, and all of our meetings have been on less than rational terms, so how can you claim to know me well enough to criticize what I do? What business do _you_ have, and where do you get _off_, telling me who I am, criticizing what I do, and telling me _what_ to do?" The fans started shouting again.

"Who said anything about criticizing you?" Ellie shot back. "When did I ever tell you to do what? I was just prompting a question, and the question is this: Do you think that maybe we'd respect you guys, if you guys respected us? Well obviously, no, you _haven't_ thought about it, judging by the _carnage_ that went down last week."

"That's enough!" Sting shouted, getting up in her face. "You said you watched it from the back, Elle. Well if that's true, then you'll know _damn well_ that I had _no_ part whatsoever in what happened last week. I've told you before, and I'll tell you again: That stuff isn't my style. Once the match ended, I got out of the ring. Once the cage was locked, I tried to talk Scott into opening it. Apparently _you_ didn't hear _me_, Elle, because if you _had_, we wouldn't be here, now would we?"

Ellie grit her teeth. "So what are you saying, Sting? Are you saying that nothing is your fault? Whatever the Main Event Mafia does, it's not your fault so long as you just watch from the sideline? Whatever the Main Event Mafia does, it's okay because it's just a part of your plan to teach us about respect? Well it's obviously not working, given the alarming increase of hits on the Frontline I've been seeing."

"Hang on a sec—."

"What are you _really_ trying to accomplish here, Sting? Respect? No, that can't be it, because I still don't see it. It must be something else. But I _did_ respect you Sting, I _did! _I never saw a problem with the level of respect here until _you_ came back. You coming out of retirement and back into the ring prompted Kurt Angle to create the Main Event Mafia, and suddenly, you're preaching off the walls about respect and shit, but it only gets worse! You've done _nothing_ since you got here except create a chaotic and unnecessary civil _war_! And please don't tell me that's what you wanted to happen, because that's just not right." She put a hand on the back of her head and started circling him. He turned to face her at all times. "When Kurt put me in the Angle Slam three weeks ago, you told me that you didn't approve of what he did. But it seems like you didn't _talk_ to him about it at all, because he was in the cage when your _friends_ took turns trying to break Joe's arm. Any respect there? I didn't see any."

"Of course you didn't see any disrespect before I got here, Elle!" Sting shouted. "Before I got here, you were still in the WWE!"

"So by fighting disrespect _with_ disrespect, that'll automatically teach us to, _respect_ the veterans," she continued, disregarding his statement. "Well that just makes _perfect_ sense. And you obviously seem to have _everything_ under control here, but hey, just for the hell of it, why don't you go _back_ into retirement, because when you _were_, everything was fine, and hey, maybe if you're retired again, maybe this war will end, _and maybe everything will be fine again!"_

She could tell that she had hit a nerve with him, though she couldn't tell if he had gotten the message or not. Ellie really would have liked for this to end peacefully, but her temper had gotten the better of her, which had led her to insult him.

Sting had been glaring at her since the last words were out of her mouth. His hand was shaking as he brought the microphone half-way up to his mouth, then dropped his arm. His eyebrows came together and he would not look at her.

"_Uh oh, this isn't going to end well."_

"_I don't know what Ellie Blackwood was thinking, insulting Sting like that. Does she think she's freaking invincible or something?"_

Sting threw his microphone and title belt down and started to take his jacket off, catching her off guard. She knew what this would lead to if she didn't get out of the way, so she immediately backed off, feeling around for the ropes, almost afraid to take her eyes off him. She caught one of the ropes and jumped out of the ring as Sting advanced on her. He stepped up onto the first turnbuckle and started shouting at her, with Ellie shouting right back.

"_Look out! Here comes the rest of the Main Event Mafia!"_

Ellie turned quickly. The rest of the Mafia was strolling down the ramp behind her. She had anticipated this, but hadn't exactly planned out an escape idea beforehand. She didn't expect the Frontline to come save her, since she was neutral. She didn't expect any of the Knockouts to help out, since none of them ever really interacted the Superstars, much less the Mafia.

_So what? I'm just supposed to be another one of their hits? Sting would probably take part in the carnage this time. How the hell am I going to get out of this?_

Her question was answered when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She whirled around, bracing herself, expecting to see one of the Mafia members. Instead, she barely caught sight of Christian's face before he bent down and tossed her over his shoulder. On the other side of the ring, AJ and the Frontline were running towards the Mafia. Christian turned and nearly ran for the exit that would take them directly backstage, avoiding the conflict now taking place. The last thing she saw was the Mafia and the Frontline locking fists.

**.xXx.**

"What the hell did you _do?_" Christian fumed. "What the holy hell did you think you were _doing_ out there?"

"Christian, I—."

"No, hang on. Just, hang on for one fucking second." He rubbed his head, sighing loudly. "Did you even think this through? Did you think that nothing would go wrong and you wouldn't get attacked because you're a girl? Kurt already beat down on you _once_, what makes you think he wouldn't do it again? The Mafia's all crazy guys, Elle."

"I _know_, but if I could just—."

"Do you even _think_ before you talk? You were out there, mouthing off to Sting. _Sting!_ I can't even begin to wrap my head around thi—."

"Are you _done_ yet?" Ellie shouted. "Can I speak _now_?" Her voice reverberated off the backstage walls. A cameraman was kneeling beside them, angrily gathering up the pieces of the camera Ellie had demolished after he tried taping their argument. After he left, Christian held his hand out to her, allowing her to go on. She sighed. "Look, I know that I was stupid out there. It was _supposed_ to be a calm, civilized discussion, but my temper got ahead of me. It wouldn't be the first time."

"You know, it probably wouldn't have been quite so devastating towards the end if you hadn't taken this out into the ring."

"I already tried talking to him privately, and it didn't do any good!" Ellie protested. "I figured that if I took it out into the ring, then the message would get through to the rest of the Mafia."

"The only message you got through to the rest of the Mafia is that you're a Sting-hater," Christian said.

"But I'm _not_."

"Well good job at clearly elaborating your messages, then, huh?" he said.

She sighed again. "Look, it got out of hand, okay? No, I did not clearly think this through, I acted on my anger. I did _not_ have an escape plan, so it's good that you were there when you were. Thanks for saving me…you know, _again_."

"It's _good_?" he repeated. "You're damn lucky you're not _dead_ right now. Oh, and you're _welcome_, by the way."

Ellie rubbed her forehead. "Christian, I talked to Sting last week. You know, backstage, away from everyone else. That's kind of what I was talking about out there when I said that we've talked before."

"Elle, you don't have to try to make a difference," he said. "That's what the Frontline's for. With the way you've been acting, you might as well be a member of the Frontline! But you're not. You're neutral, so what the hell are _you_ trying to solve things for?"

"Because they piss me off!"

"They piss everyone off, Elle, but you have to know your place!"

"My _place?_" she repeated. "I'm a _member_ of TNA! I _work_ here! I'm a part of this _family_ just as much as anyone else! My place is _here_. So when five big shots come strolling into the ring saying that they run the place now, don't you think that I'd have a right to tell them elsewise?"

"You can do that without getting yourself mixed up in this war, without getting yourself _killed_."

"I'm not going to get myself killed, Christian, I'll be _fine_."

"Oh you'll be fine, of course. I just have to watch your back for you."

Ellie opened her mouth, ready to lash out another rebuttal, when she suddenly realized that they were not alone. She turned around to see the members of the Frontline emerging through the wrestler's entrance. A twinge of guilt pulled at her as she saw that most of them looked pretty beaten down. She covered her mouth with her hands, barely aware of it when Christian put his arm around her.

"Oh my god, guys, I'm so sorry I put you all through this," she said, rushing forward to help AJ down the steps. "I'm such an idiot for making you all pay for my mistakes."

"Hey, calm down," AJ said. "It's no big deal, really."

"I just…Thanks so much for saving me."

"You know what?" AJ said as the rest of the Frontline gathered behind him. "You may be neutral and we may not be able to change your mind, but as far as we're concerned, you're an honorary member of the Frontline. And in the Frontline, we look out for each other."

"Besides, who do they think they are, teaming up on a girl?" said Eric. "I thought I knew Sting better than that, but it's never too late for surprises, is it?"

"It wasn't fair to you, that's what he's trying to say," said AJ. "Hey, Christian, we're glad to help out, so you know, thanks for telling us about this. You got everything?"

Christian placed his hand on Ellie's shoulder. "Yeah, I think we're good. Thanks, AJ."

Ellie allowed Christian to walk her to her dressing room after that. Neither of them spoke during the trip there.

**.xXx.**

Ellie lost her rematch fight to Angelina Love that night. She blamed it mostly on the events that took place earlier that night. She claimed she wasn't focused, that she was distracted, what with the near-second beat down that almost happened and Christian leaving TNA. She could just as easily have blamed it on interference from Velvet Sky and Kip James, who got in numerous cheap shots at her while Angelina had the referee distracted. Shameless antics like that from them were expected, though, so Ellie told everyone that she lost that night because she couldn't concentrate.

About half an hour later, she had her laptop out on her desk in her dressing room. She was going through songs that she had been downloading. She didn't intend to stay much longer, and the instant Roxxi was back and better, she planned on having her tag team match and getting out of here. So while she was planning, she decided that she could use a new WWE theme song.

_Maybe I'm just using this as a distraction from chaos,_ she considered. _I don't know why I try, since chaos always manages to find me again._

There was a knock on her door. She glanced at it briefly.

"Come in," she called, still scrolling through songs. The door clicked open and Christian strolled inside, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He kicked the door closed. He was silent for a while, watching her busy herself on her laptop, scratching his goatee, and half-expecting her to turn around. She didn't, so he took it upon himself to break the silence.

"Hey, Elle," he said. She didn't turn around. "Elle, you got a minute?"

"I've got several," she replied, callously. "What do you want?"

"I want to explain," he answered, sitting himself down in a chair behind her. She stopped tapping the keys and swung her chair around until she could see him sitting there, all relaxed and nonchalant in her chair. Upon seeing him, Ellie was filled with a strange resent and anger that may have already been present from losing to Angelina and fueled by Sting. Just the way he was so composed in _her_ chair triggered something in her, and it took all of her self-control to keep from telling him to get the hell out of her room.

"I'm listening," she said, instead. "What would you like to explain?" She casually closed her laptop, full well knowing what he wanted to talk about.

"I want to explain why I didn't tell you that my contract had expired. I figured you'd be kind of upset about that."

"Damn right!" Ellie fired back. "You were my first friend here at TNA, and to hear that you're leaving so soon and not tell me…you can't imagine how that made me feel."

"Ellie, I didn't tell you _because_ I knew it would hurt you," Christian said. Ellie was silent for a few seconds.

"That doesn't make any sense," she protested. "Would you rather I had found out _after_ you'd left, and have me feel even worse? At least this way we can end on better terms. Though I don't know if we even _can_ end on good terms."

"Don't be like that," he said. "Plus, I do recall _you_ saying that you only came here to teach a lesson to Angelina and Velvet. So what do you intend to do when you've accomplished that? Quit and go back to the WWE?"

"That was exactly my plan, actually," Ellie said.

"And I suppose you're upset because I didn't tell you that I was leaving earlier so you could schedule and win your fight sooner and come back to WWE with me?" he inquired.

"Don't get smart with me," she snapped. "I would have gone back to the WWE regardless. Pretty much, whenever Roxxi got back and better. But now that you're leaving, and I still haven't fought my grudge match yet, I suppose I'm to stay here, essentially by myself, all alone until I do?"

Christian shrugged. "Don't say that. You still have friends here, like AJ, or Roxxi, or Christy. Besides, you know, your fight's probably not that far off. You can still quit and go back to WWE if you want to. And hey, in the event that you do come back, I'll be there."

"Roxxi's out with an ankle injury, and Christy recently got sent home with a neck injury, Christian," Ellie said. She shook her head, sighing. "I just can't imagine why you'd keep me in the dark like this."

"Don't take it too offensively, Elle," he said. "I didn't tell _anyone_ 'cept, you know, Jim. Oh, and AJ. Jim, because I had to. And AJ, well, because _he_ was _my_ first friend at TNA, and one of my best friends since. I had to tell him too, I guess is what I'm saying. And I guess Kurt heard about it somehow. Word of mouth, seems like."

Ellie took a deep breath and sighed. "All right," she said, turning back around. "I suppose that takes care of it. When do you leave?"

"I'm taking off in an hour."

She swung around again. "So soon?" She felt a strange sense of panic rising within her. Christian nodded. She opened her mouth to talk, but nothing came out.

"What do you want me to _do_, Elle?" he said. "I've already hung around at least for a week _after_ my contract expired. I shouldn't even really _be_ here still. I've got to get back to the WWE." He stood up and crossed the room. "C'mon," he said. "Let's go watch some fights." He held out his hand to her.

She bit her lip and nodded slowly. Silently, she took his hand.

**.xXx.**

"So what?" she said. "We're just going to sit here staring at the TV and not talk at all?"

He was silent for a while. "Just enjoy the moment," he said finally. "If you'd rather do something else, just say so."

"No, this is fine."

They were in the wrestler's waiting room backstage, where security usually hung out. Both of them had their feet propped up on the table, and they were watching the current fights going on on the live-circuit TV. They hadn't talked at all up until Ellie broke the silence. It seemed like Christian wasn't interested in talking right now. An interesting thought crossed her mind.

"Are _you_ avoiding _me_?" she asked. He glanced at her and she had a smile on her face.

"In what way?" he inquired. "Because I'm not talking to you? At least I haven't been dodging you for the last three weeks."

"Okay, it wasn't three weeks."

"But you admit to dodging me."

"I avoided you, yes…"

"You said you were busy."

"Look, can we not talk about this?"

"I thought you wanted to talk."

"Asking if we weren't going to talk doesn't mean I wanted to."

He smiled and turned back to the TV. "Whatever you say." More silence. "_Do_ you want to talk?"

She paused. "Yes. Eventually. After the fights."

Once more: "Whatever you say."

The silence arose once more between them. The rest of that night's Impact went by as scheduled. No one really seemed to have minded that Ellie messed up said schedule at the beginning of the night, though it went around that Jim Cornette was looking for her. She could've cared less.

Christian switched off the TV. Impact was over, but the main event's wrestlers were still brawling in the Impact Zone. The crowd was still ecstatic and screaming, and Jeremy Borash was getting ready to conduct the post-show interviews.

Christian stood up. "Let's go."

She watched him move past her. "Go?"

"I have to leave, remember?" he said.

"Christian, it's eleven o'clock at night. What, are you going to fly all the way to WWE headquarters right _now_?"

"Need to finish packing and get back to my hotel, pack some more, sleep, then fly out of here by tomorrow morning," he replied. "It's kind of a long way from Florida to Connecticut. So yes, I have to go now. I'm not going to start appearing in WWE shows right away, but I need to get to headquarters to finalize some stuff with Vince and Teddy."

"Teddy? Teddy Long?" Ellie said. "Are you going to ECW?"

He nodded. "It's the only branch of WWE I haven't been to yet, and I figure I could spice it up. Give it a try, you know?"

She shrugged. "Sure, I guess." She stood up and walked with him to the main hall backstage. They branched off to go their own separate ways when Cornette ambushed Ellie suddenly and told her to get her ass into his office NOW. Christian said they'd meet up in the parking lot out back.

Which they did.

By the time Ellie got out to the parking lot, Christian had been waiting for her for at least ten minutes.

"Ten minutes, really?" she said.

"I timed it," he replied. "And that's not including the time it took me to pack."

"Sorry about that, Jim kept me in his office for a while."

"Lemme guess—to bitch at you for messing up the schedule?"

"Something about how I put the night's schedule out of whack, made tonight's episode longer than it was supposed to be, which cost more money than they would have liked, blah blah. And for smashing Jack's camera, which will cost even _more_ money to replace."

"I _told_ you you're stupid."

"I know, I know, sorry again," she groaned. "And I told _you_ that I don't think things through. But then again, you can't say that you've never acted on your emotions before either. I've seen some of your bouts and quarrels here back when I was still in WWE. Heh, you must be rubbing off on me."

"Of all the people to rub off on you, it has to be me?" he said. He paused briefly, his face becoming something more serious. "So, you follow me to WWE, you stalk me to TNA with the intent of going _back_ to the WWE with me, you stalk me while _in_ TNA, for example, save me from Team 3D and the Main Event Mafia and even visit me in the hospital, and avoid me for no good reason before claiming that I screwed you up. Now, I have a question for you."

"Oh goodie."

"Elle…" he said, taking one step towards her. "You're not in love with me, are you?"

This question caught her off guard. At first, she planned to correct all of his accusations without really knowing where he was going with all of this. Now that she knew he was getting at, she was surprised to find that she actually had to think about this.

"I won't be mad, whatever your answer is," he said. "I just don't want to end on bad terms with you, and maybe this isn't the best way to do it. Maybe so. But it's been bugging me, and I just want to know."

She deliberated long and hard. Then—

"No."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that a real no, or just no because you don't really want me to know, or no because you respect that I'm married."

"You ass, it's a real no!" she said. "Look, I thought about it, everything you said, everything I did since I met you, everything I felt, and ultimately decided that no, I'm not in love with you. You're more of a brother to me than anything else, so I love you in that sense, but it's nothing romantic, I assure. And that was an awkward question, thank you. I thought you wanted to end on good terms."

"It's not like asking you an innocent question will make you hate me."

"I don't hate you," she sighed. "I just wish you could stick around a little bit longer."

"In some weird ways," he said, "I do too." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm counting on AJ to keep you out of major trouble, but he can only do so much. So you take care of yourself, and at least _try_ not to do too many stupid things without me here. All right?"

"Yeah. Sure."

He took her face in both his hands. "Take care." He kissed her once on the forehead, then hugged her.

It was surreal.

She smiled into his chest. "You're not in love with _me_ are you?"

He laughed once. "That was an awkward question, thank you. Let me think about it overnight and I'll give you an answer tomorrow."

She hugged him tighter to herself. "You won't be here tomorrow."

"That's my point." He released her, and she saw him to his car. He had the driver's side door open after putting his things in the back, and paused. He looked around at her again. "Good-bye, Elle."

She smiled. "See you soon, Christian."

He closed the door and drove off. Still smiling, Ellie turned around and headed back into the Impact Zone.

End Chapter 7

yayzorz for fluff. if you find any typos, please let me know.  
reviews, plz!


	8. Roped In

Kickin' it right along with chapter 8. lots of shocking moments here that I'm sure you'll enjoy.  
**Warnings:** a twist! (and fighting and stuff)  
**Note:** an AU fight scene in this chapter. Try and find it.  
**Disclaimers:** don't own TNA, I own Ellie, etc…

**Chapter 8: roped in**

Ellie was starting to become concerned. Early in January, a woman named Madison Rayne debuted in TNA and disappeared for a while after losing to Awesome Kong. She reappeared later in mid-February in a 9-Knockouts Title gauntlet match. Ellie herself wasn't in the match (though she was offered a spot in it) as she had no intention of winning a championship in TNA. The match was won by newcomer Sojourner Bolt, who pinned Madison. After that, Madison and had since been seeming to align herself with the Beautiful People.

_This is bad,_ she thought. _Angelina and Velvet already have Kip at their heels, the last thing we need is for Madison to tag along too._

While this was brewing, there occurred a more dramatic problem elsewhere. Petey Williams had been taken out by the Main Event Mafia some while ago in November, taking most of the beating from former mentor Scott Steiner, and no one had heard from him since. It was a mid-February Thursday now, and AJ was supposed to be in a match with Kurt Angle, the alleged Godfather of the Main Event Mafia. In the beginning of Impact, however, Team 3D powerbombed him through a table, thus putting him out for the night. Scott Steiner offered to take his place in his match tonight.

Ellie was in her dressing room again. She hadn't really fought much or gone out to socialize since Christian left. Taylor Wilde offered to take her out to lunch one day to get over Christian's departure, to no avail. Christy's neck was no better, and the only good news Ellie received was that Roxxi might be returning soon.

The AJ Styles vs. Scott Steiner fight had been going pretty back and forth throughout. It wasn't until the end that Ellie really started to show interest. Mick Foley, the special guest enforcer, had the referee distracted while AJ was down. And then…

Petey Williams pops in out of nowhere and missile dropkicks Steiner off the top rope.

The fight was won when AJ pulled off the Pelé on Steiner and took the pin. Ellie bolted out of her room and towards the wrestler's entrance.

AJ and Petey were heaving themselves out of the Impact Zone and into the backstage waiting room, arms around each other, taking the time to catch up. Ellie was already waiting for them.

"Well I'll be," she said. "He's really back."

"Holy crap, it's Ellie," AJ said, somewhat surprised.

"Hey, Elle," Petey said. "How're you doing?"

"_Me?_" she inquired. "You come back from a three-month absence, and you ask how _I'm_ doing? You're unbelievable." She hugged him gently. "But I'm okay."

"Oh really?" AJ said. "She's actually been pent up in her dressing room since Christian left a few weeks ago. Only came out to fight, which she barely did. I haven't seen her in weeks."

"Christian's gone?" Petey said. "Boy, I've sure missed a lot."

"It's fine, really," AJ replied. "We have all the time in the world to catch you back up. Don't worry about it. We're just glad to have you back."

"We'll get through this," Ellie said.

She didn't believe her own words.

**.xXx.**

The next week, it was discussed that Steiner wanted to take out Petey once and for all, while Kurt was still fuming about AJ's match. The Mafia seemed convinced that Petey's return was a result of some sort of Frontline scheme, and Kurt wouldn't have it. The Mafia had taken time out of the beginning of Impact to let Kurt talk, hell-bent on getting his match with AJ, and decided that the time was just right. He confirmed that he was getting his rematch tonight, and concluded with, "AJ…payback is a _bitch_."

Ellie bit her lip.

So now AJ and Kurt were to fight that night in a Tables Match, so soon after Scott and Petey had their match, which Petey lost. As for the tables match, Ellie decided that it would be for the best if she wasn't in her dressing room watching the fight from there. She couldn't help but see a little bit of Christian in AJ, which was soothing on some levels. On other levels, it gave her a sense of foreboding that something bad was going to happen tonight. Maybe it was just because AJ was fighting Kurt, and she had no trust in Kurt at all. Or maybe it was because Christian had been taken out by the Mafia, and was afraid that they might do the same to AJ. So she was backstage in the wrestler's waiting room with Greg the security guard, watching the fight intently on the live-circuit TV.

The rules of the fight were straightforward—you win the fight by putting your opponent through a table. Likewise, there were two tables set up on the outside of the ring, one of which eventually made its way into the ring during the fight. Ellie was becoming anxious.

"I don't like this," she said. "Watching anyone fight the Mafia always puts me on edge."

"Sounds reasonable," said Greg. "The Mafia guys are some pretty intimidating people."

"I _thought_ they didn't intimidate me," she muttered.

While they were talking, AJ had set Kurt up on the table and tried to deliver a diving elbow drop from the top rope onto him, but Kurt moved out of the way. AJ hit the table face-first and stumbled backwards into Kurt, who immediately got him up on his shoulders and sent him through the table with a powerful Angle Slam. Ellie threw up her arms.

"I was right!" she cried with frustration. "Goddamnit, what's with people and putting the men closest to me through tables?" Greg shrugged. He perked up when Ellie rose from her seat.

"Hey, where are you going?" he said, standing up.

"Where do you think?" She pointed to the TV, which showed Kurt getting out of the ring to retrieve a steel folding chair. The Frontline was nowhere to be seen. "You know what's coming next as well as I do." She made towards the ramp. "I'm going out there to help him!"

She jumped the stairs and started pelting down the tunnel. By the time she was on the ramp, Kurt had the chair in hand and was climbing into the ring, with Ellie blind from his sight. Don and Mike had spotted her and were probably giving away her presence by now.

Ellie dove into the ring after Kurt, trying to hide herself amongst the wood shrapnel, the remains of the table, and AJ's motionless body. Despite this, Kurt managed to catch sight of her after putting AJ's ankle in the folding chair and started to move away from him and towards her. Once she got up and took so much as two steps towards him, he was in front of her then and clotheslined her back down. She hit the mat hard, instantly grabbing at the back of her head and rolling onto her side to stifle the pain. She bit through it, hoping that her intervention would be enough for AJ to recover and escape.

Her question was answered when she hear AJ's agonized screams rip through the air. This sound followed a stomping sound, both of which made her blood curdle. With difficulty, she managed to prop herself up on her elbows and look over. AJ's ankle was in the chair and Kurt was stomping on it, trying to break it.

She crawled over behind Kurt while he had his leg in the air, ready to bring it down again on the chair, and swiped his leg out from under him before he could deliver another devastating crunch to AJ's leg. AJ was on his elbows trying to pry the chair off of his leg. She helped him with that.

"Take it easy, AJ," she said, placing a hand on his chest. "Don't hurt yourself even worse. I'll send for some paramedics as soon as I—."

"Watch yourself!"

Ellie was yanked to her feet roughly, but before Kurt could do anything to her, she managed to kick out one of his knees. He promptly released her, and she dove for the chair. Still on the ground, she grabbed it and cracked it over Kurt's knee. Screaming, he hobbled around on one foot, grabbing at his leg. Ellie got up and threw the chair at him. He caught it, and left an easy opening for her to dropkick it into his face. He dropped the chair and stumbled around, finding support by holding on the ropes.

AJ was on his feet and had been putting weight on his ankle, testing it. He saw Kurt on the ropes and slingshotted himself off the ropes opposite him, to come back and send Kurt over to the outside with a running clothesline. AJ immediately started limping.

Ellie stood up, rubbing the back of her head, and tapped AJ once on the shoulder. He turned to face her.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked.

A smile broke across his face and he didn't answer. Instead, he threw his arms around her neck and embraced her tightly. Surprised, she just stood there for a while in his arms. Then, relieved, she hugged him back.

"Christian was right about you," he said. "Always trying to be the hero."

"Be glad _someone_ is." And then, she let out a very confused, "AJ?"

AJ was gone.

While they had been hugging and ultimately distracted, it so turns out that Kurt had grabbed him by his bad leg and pulled him to the outside with such momentum, AJ hit the guard rails. When Ellie realized what had happened, Kurt was already climbing back into the ring. She backed up.

"_Probably not the best decision she's ever made. True that she saved AJ Styles' leg from being broken, but now she has to face Kurt Angle's wrath…again!"_

"_I've come to the conclusion that she's impervious to beat downs. Either that or the Main Event Mafia beat her so senseless, she can't remember to stay away from them anymore."_

Kurt nearly leaped at her, and managed to grab a handful of her hair and pull her over to him.

"_WOAH, and there's a powerful side-bomb on Ellie Blackwood by Kurt Angle!"_

"_What's his __deal__ with her?"_

"_He just can't keep his hands off her, can he?"_

AJ had gotten back into the ring while Kurt was attacking Ellie, and was able to deliver a running dropkick to the side of Kurt's head while he was still on the ground immediately following the side-bomb. Kurt was sent across the ring a few feet, leaving Ellie lying on the canvas. Kurt was rolling around on the mat, clutching his head, trying to get up. AJ scrambled over to Ellie, scooped her up into his arms and quickly exited the ring while Kurt was still temporarily incapacitated.

"_This is the second time we've had to watch AJ Styles carry away a woman that's been beaten down by Kurt Angle. The first one, of course, being Karen, Kurt's wife-at-the-time."_

"_It's hard to watch, either way."_

Ellie herself was rather debilitated. The whole Impact Zone seemed to be swimming, and she was only vaguely aware that AJ was carrying her away from the ring. He and Kurt were yelling at each other, but she couldn't make out the words. She was so lost in this sensation of déjà vu, of the time Christian carried her away from Kong after being attacked. This was so familiar to her.

"AJ?" she muttered hoarsely as he carried her up the ramp.

"Yeah?" He was limping.

"I miss Christian."

She didn't say anything else.

**.xXx.**

Scott Steiner and Petey Williams competed again the next week in a "Headdress on a Pole" match. Steiner's trademark was a chainmail headdress that he would wear prior to his fights, and Petey had adopted that look after completing his training with Steiner many months ago. Petey never abandoned the headdress, but since he and Steiner had gone different ways, Steiner decided that he wanted his "look" back.

Steiner succeeded.

Not much longer after that, the Mafia's goal was achieved. They took over TNA one night, and none of the Superstars could do anything about it. Kevin Nash and Booker T were the new ring-side broadcasters, and Booker's wife Sharmell was the new interviewer. The whereabouts of the original staff and management were unknown. In the meantime, it seemed like the Mafia was running the show for the night, and thus had scheduled many peculiar fights for Impact, such as ODB vs. the Kongtourage, Petey Williams (with one arm tied behind his back) vs. Matt Morgan, Booker T vs. two referees, and for some reason…Sting vs. Team 3D.

Ellie cocked her head.

"What's the point of _that_?" she mused to herself

"Well, you know, Kurt and Sting are in a fatal four-way against Team 3D at Against All Odds," said Michael, a security guard.

"Oh yeah, that's pretty soon," she said. "So what, Kurt's like, trying to weaken Sting or trying to see how he and 3D fight to better his chances of getting the Heavyweight title or something?"

Michael shrugged. "It's the Main Event Mafia we're talking about. Who knows why they do _anything,_ right?"

"Good point," Ellie said. "I guess I'll go find the original management, or something. Just so we can get the Mafia out of Jeff's shoes, you know?"

She started to walk away. In truth, she had no idea where to start looking. For all she knew, all of the original staff were dead and/or half-way across the country by now. She wondered if it would help at all if she found AJ or any one of the Frontline.

"Hey, Elle, come back," Michael called. "Kurt's talking about you."

"Oh no." She hurried back over to the table where he was sitting. "What's he want _now?_"

"I don't know, just come here," he replied. She sat down. In the ring, the Mafia was gathered. The microphone was once more in Kurt's hand.

"We have a problem on our hands," Kurt said, taking slow steps around the ring. Sting and Scott stayed their ground, and Kevin and Booker looked on reverently while providing occasional commentary. "We have a problem, and her name is _Ellie Blackwood_." He paused, waiting for the crowd's cheers to subside. "Now, the Main Event Mafia have had some… disputes with her. We've even had some quarrels with her, which was made abruptly apparent when not too long ago, interference from the 'Ice Angel' resulted in her take-down."

The crowd started booing. Kurt glared around that them. Scott Steiner patted him on the arm.

"Now," he continued, "some of you may have some disapproval of what went down, but all things in perspective…she deserved it."

"_Aww yeah, right on. You stick it to 'em,"_ Booker T said.

"What the holy hell's he talking about?" Ellie said.

Kurt held up his hand. "Interesting thing that happened not long after the beatdown on Christian Cage. Sting came and told me that she talked him down." He laughed. "Really, Elle? You come along, young and naïve, _a part of_ the disrespecting generation, and you have the nerve to say to Sting that _he's_ disrespectful? Sting is doing a great and charitable thing for this company, and it's people like _you_ that should benefit from what he's doing!"

Ellie raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, Elle, where do you get off telling Sting something like that? What do _you_ know about wrestling? You're no legend, you're not a champion, you've never traveled to five different wrestling promotions and dominated all of them. What do _you _know about respect? Sting has more knowledge and more experience that you could ever hope to have, and you have to nerve to tell him that he's disrespectful? You're nothing but a _hypocrite, _Blackwood!"

Behind him, Sting fidgeted almost uncomfortably. Kurt lowered the microphone. Half of the crowd was cheering, and the other half was still booing. No one in the Mafia seemed to care.

"_You know, I gotta say, Kurt is a very impressive guy. Listen to him stickin' it to Blackwood, glorifying Sting and all that,"_ said Nash.

"_She gotta learn her damn place, you dig it dawg? She strut around all high and mighty, and that just don' sit with me, man. You know what I'm sayin'?_" said Booker. "_You hear what she sai' to Sting? She's like—."_

Booker T was interrupted by the overblaring music of Muse's _Citizen Erased._ The Mafia all looked toward the ramp where Ellie walked out onto from the entrance tunnel, firmly grasping a microphone. There was something in the back of her head telling her to stop where she was and just yell at Kurt from there, but there was also a dominating part of her that really just wanted to get up in his face. The fans were all shouting things to her, and she didn't listen to any of them. She glared at Kevin Nash and Booker T as she passed their table, shooting daggers from her eyes as Nash shooed her away. She turned her attention back to Kurt, who didn't look too happy, Scott, who looked disapproving, and Sting, who was obscurely unnerved.

She kept her smoldering gaze squarely on Kurt as she climbed into the ring. Ellie was a small woman, though ruthlessly uncouth, and the Mafia knew this. Cautious, Kurt, Steiner, and Sting took a few steps back. Both Ellie and the entire Main Event Mafia were composed of daunting people, each having delivered staggering blows to the other, so no one was surprised when Kurt and Ellie kept their distance from each other. The two of them glared each other down for a few tense seconds, and the back of her head started throbbing again. She held up the microphone.

"First off, Kurt, don't call me Elle. You haven't earned that privilege yet," she said. The crowd cheered. "Second, that conversation Sting and I had was much deeper than he let you in on, evidently, and wasn't meant for public ears either way. And third, before you go off about other people being hypocrites, you best take care of yourself first." The fans gave a huge pop. "Now let me ask you this…You've taken over TNA for now, right?" He nodded. "And you're in charge?" He nodded again. "See, I don't get this. I'm assuming that you've done this for the alleged betterment of this company, so you can improve it in your favor. But what good is that going to do for the rest of us?"

"Say again?"

"You beat me down, _twice, _and then walk away all casual-like and act like nothing happened," she continued. "What with the Mafia in charge and all, I don't suppose that you'll stop with the senseless beatdowns and cover-ups, right? Do you really expect there to be a TNA left at all if this carries on? Well _I _don't. But it's not going to stay that way if _I_ have anything to say about it."

"What are you getting at?"

"Get off my back, Kurt," Ellie said, impatiently. "Back to this whole 'domination of TNA' thing. You have the potential to keep the Superstars from all quitting if you say, schedule some fights that are more worthwhile. So far you've been scheduling fights to benefit the Main Event Mafia, right? But they all seem rather one-sided to me, don't you think? Booker T versus some referees. Matt Morgan versus a one-armed Petey Williams. How does that help to benefit the Mafia? Why don't you just schedule something more worthwhile while you're in charge?"

Kurt thought for a moment, nodding absently. "Okay. You want to have a say in what happens with TNA? You want us to schedule something worthwhile? Okay, fine. That's actually not a bad idea, Ellie. Since you're suddenly such a bigshot and have to act like the hero in and get involved in every situation that provokes you, why don't I take you up on your advice? Instead of putting Sting in a fight against Team 3D tonight, how about I put him up against, oh I don't know, say…you?"

_Hold on…__what__?_

Everyone seemed just about as confused and shocked as she was. She and Sting were both completely dumbstruck. Ellie utterly forgot about being angry, and couldn't think past anything but "stunned."

"_What did I tell you? Kurt's the man,_" Nash remarked.

"Wait a minute, are you serious?" Ellie said, incredulously, not even bringing the microphone up to her mouth. Kurt nodded. She looked over at Sting, who was gaping slightly at Kurt. He seemed to be in just as much disbelief as she was. A few seconds of gawking and she regained her ability to speak. "Hang on, you can't do that!"

"The hell I can't!" Kurt shouted, getting up in her face. "The last time I checked, _I _call the shots around here, _not_ you!"

"But you _don't_ call the shots, Kurt!" Ellie protested.

"So who does?" he retaliated. "Jeff? Mick? I don't see them around anywhere, do you? You even said it yourself: the Mafia's in charge now. Therefore, _I _make the rules, Blackwood, and you better play ball."

Ellie was at a loss for words. She couldn't believe that she had just been thrown into this situation. Christian was right—she _was_ an idiot.

_Oh. Way to go, Elle. AGAIN. Always have to be the hero, can't just keep your nose out of other people's conflicts. Have to fix everything, don't you? Well, a lot of good THAT did you._

"Wow, I'm so screwed," she muttered. Then, louder, "Kurt, I can't fight Sting. I'm a girl, in case you didn't notice." There was slight panic in her voice, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get out of this fight.

"Intergender matches _are_ rare, but they do happen," he said. "You should know, you originated in the WWE."

"Why?" she asked. "Why now?"

"Good question," Kurt said. "One, you and Sting obviously have had your disagreements with each other. So instead of talking each other down, why not settle this like any other reasonable Superstar on the TNA roster?"

"_Reasonable?_" she exclaimed. "You call this _reasonable?"_

"Two," he continued, ignoring her, "Sting _also_ told me that you said something to him when he went to so graciously go save your ungrateful, sorry ass from the Kongtourage. What was it that you said? Something like 'come near me and Christian again and I'll take you on myself?'"

"Woah, hold on—."

"And third," he concluded, "I do believe I told you some time ago, back when the beatdown on Christian Cage occurred, to never interfere in the Main Event Mafia's business again. Did you think there wouldn't be consequences?"

"I—."

"Will be fighting Sting tonight? Of course you will. Because if you don't, then you're done."

She felt like she had been punched in the chest. She dropped the mic. "You don't have the right to fire me!"

"I have more of a right to fire you than anyone else here."

Ellie looked helplessly to Sting. He stared right back with the same bewildered expression. Staring at Sting gave her an unexpected thought. When Christian intervened in Sting's rescue attempt, Sting had pointed at them. Soon following, they were both beaten down by the Main Event Mafia. Sting had already told her that he hadn't meant for her to have been attacked, so if he had pointed at her too, then maybe…this was it.

_I dunno. Sting doesn't really look like he's down with this idea._

"All right. Fine," she said. She wasn't holding the microphone anymore, but Kurt's had picked up her words judging by the huge fan reaction she had just received. "Don't have much choice, do I?"

She exited the ring and trudged up the ramp with heavy footsteps. She felt overwhelmingly weighed down with worry and anxiety, and the ever-present anger. Kevin Nash and Booker T were saying things, she could hear them, but she couldn't make out the words. It didn't matter to her.

When she got to the wrestler's waiting area backstage, someone was waiting for her. Michael was gone, and in his place was a very stunned AJ Styles. She felt a twinge of guilt as she neared him and he stood up, staring at her incredulously.

"Did…did that really just happen?" he said, quietly. "Did you really just agree to fight Sting?"

"AJ, please, I—."

"No, answer the question. I just want to make sure I didn't have something crazy in my ears."

"Yes, I did. I agreed to fight Sting. Are you happy?"

"Of course not!" AJ exploded. "Ellie, what are you thinking? You know what, I don't think I'd be able to just sit back and watch you take another beating from the hands of the Mafia. Let me fight for you."

"AJ, no!" she said. "I can't let you do that. This is my battle to fight, and it's my battle to win."

AJ sighed. "Elle, I can't believe you. Sting is one of the most prominent wrestlers in TNA today. In all of _pro wrestling_ today! I've fought Sting before, and you know what happened? I got my ass handed to me! You know—."

He was cut off when Ellie held up her hand. "AJ, _please_. I've already gotten this from Christian, and the last thing I need if for you to turn against me too. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go get ready." She started to walk away.

AJ grabbed her arm. "Hey, I am not turning against you. That's the last thing I would ever do, especially after you saved me from Kurt. And I know if Christian were here, he'd say the same thing too. So I'll tell you what…since I can't talk you out of fighting Sting, at least let me be in your corner."

"Oh, AJ, I can't make you do that."

"Elle, my leg should be in a cast right now. But it's not, and I'm thankful for that. I owe you one, okay? Let me be in your corner. You know, as support."

She nodded slowly. "Thanks, AJ."

"See you in a little bit."

**.xXx.**

Once in her dressing room, she slammed the door shut. Sighing, she leaned heavily against it and buried her face in her hands. She was still in shock and utter disbelief. She had no idea how to prepare for this fight, against (like AJ said) one of the most successful and prominent figures in professional wrestling today. Her emotions were overwhelming and confusing her, and for a while, she didn't know what to do, and merely stood up against the door blankly. She wanted to be optimistic and say that she was going to win this fight, but she knew full well that there was just no way.

The small TV in her room was on. It showed Kurt, Sting, and Scott in their own elaborate lockerroom, talking to each other. They initially seemed to be talking about the current fight going on: Petey Williams (with one arm tied behind his back) vs. Matt Morgan. Scott Steiner soon left, saying that he wanted to check it out. Kurt started to leave to take care of other business.

"_Hang on Kurt, wait,"_ said Sting.

"_What's up?"_

"_You don't seriously expect me to go through with this fight, do you?"_

"_What's the big deal, Sting? I just got you a little spotlight tonight, no biggie, right?"_

"_Kurt, you're asking me to fight a __girl__. I'm a respectable, Christian man, Kurt. I would never dream of fighting someone like Ellie Blackwood."_

"_Sting, listen to me. You are the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. You should fear __nothing__. We're in control now. Nothing and no one can stop us. Ellie Blackwood is standing in our way of complete domination, and if we don't take her out, then we're never going to achieve our goal. This is what we've waited for. Just take her out like any other opponent, and we're home free."_

"_Kurt, I don't know, I—."_

"_What makes you think she's going to hold herself back? What makes you think she's going to go easy on you? After all that we've put her through, what makes you think that she won't tear you apart? You've gotta defend yourself, man. You've got to get in there. We're all counting on you to teach her a lesson. Why do you think I picked you to fight her instead of one of the other broads in the back? It's all coming together, Sting. Now I've heard around that AJ Styles is going to be in Blackwood's corner. And to make sure that he doesn't screw this match up, I'm going to be out there with you. Which means…don't let me down."_

Ellie turned off the TV.

"Fuck, I'm so screwed. Now Sting has _Kurt_ in his corner. What the hell am I going to do…" She paced around her dressing room, kicking around various objects. "Wait…"

But maybe she could do some research on Sting. She did that before she went up against Awesome Kong and ended up winning. Was it sheer luck? No, it couldn't have been. Watching her opponents fight always helps her in upcoming matches. Maybe if she could touch up on Sting's background, it might be possible for her to pull through once more. Although, Sting is the reining world heavyweight champion. He's a very formidable opponent.

_I need to do A LOT of research, then._

Ellie glanced towards her laptop, which she had been doing research on before she had been called out and happened to have left it on. But it wasn't the same. Something peculiar caught her eye. She had been doing research on Angelina's and Velvet's tag team matches by watching videos and reading reviews, but some smaller window had popped up during her absence and now obscured the screen. At first, she thought it was just a pop-up ad, but as she moved towards her laptop to close it, she realized that it wasn't an ad at all.

It was an instant-messaging chat window. Curious, she sat down.

It was from Christian.

At first, she was confused as to how Christian had gotten her screenname. She calmed down when she recalled that they exchanged screennames when he departed from TNA, rather than swapping phone numbers.

"_I try not to give out my cell number. Sometimes creeper fans get a hold of it and call you, and well…you know. It's creepy."_

She gasped. How long had he been waiting on her? How long ago had he sent that message? For all she knew, he could have signed off by now. Would he think she was ignoring him? Ignoring him because she didn't respond to his message? But the message itself was rather simple and, well...straightforward:

**hey.**

It almost bothered her how nonchalant he was. She didn't know when he had sent that. What would he think? Was he even still be around his computer? Swearing, she slammed her hands down on the keyboard and typed out a hasty reply.

_**hey yourself.**_

She waited. A minute passed. He didn't answer. She sighed in disappointment, angry at herself that she had missed him. Maybe he was out somewhere with his WWE buddies. Christian said he went to ECW, and ECW aired on Tuesdays. Today wasn't Tuesday, so it wouldn't make sense for him to be fighting. There was nothing she could really do now, so she minimized the window and resumed her research, this time, looking up videos on Sting. She had about a half-hour to do as much research as she could before she had to go get ready and leave. She had to ask herself if she could reasonably gain adequate knowledge on Sting's techniques in such a short amount of time.

She silently cursed the YouTube video, willing it to load faster. While waiting, she went to her drawer to pull out a ring outfit to wear tonight. She chose one of her favorites and tossed it onto the couch before going back to the table to select the corresponding cosmetics. Something caught her eye as she moved to pick up her blue eyeshadow, which happened to be right next to her laptop. The IM window at the bottom of her screen was blinking. She near threw herself into her chair as she clicked on it. It opened up to reveal a new message.

**took you long enough.**

_**i know. i'm sorry.**_

**you sound angry. how's TNA?**

_**fair enough. **_She hesitated. _**how're things at ECW? i saw your comeback match. pretty sweet.**_

**hey thanks. **

_**your ECW championship match with Jack Swagger wasn't as sweet. how's your arm?**_

**been better. anyway, where've you been elle?**

_**in the ring. the MEM's taken over.**_

There was a pause.

**well that can't be good. you okay? they're not trying to mess with you again, are they?**

Ellie bit her lip. Hesitantly, she started typing again.

_**actually, christian, i've been scheduled to fight sting tonight.**_

There was another pause. Longer this time.

**wait, what?**

She didn't say anything.

**but that doesn't make sense.**

_**kurt said something about letting us vent, settle our differences, or whatever. you know, since we've been arguing a lot recently.**_

**well it makes sense that kurt would do something like that if he's in charge. but elle, you don't have to take that kind of crap from him.**

_**kurt said he'd fire me if i didn't fight sting tonight.**_

**what? elle, you stupid or something? kurt can't fire you, he doesn't have that kind of authority. look, just say you won't fight sting, and kurt can "fire" you. once management gets back in control, jeff or jim or someone will reinstate you.**

_**you think I don't know this?**_

Another pause.

**what?**

_**i know kurt can't fire me. but I have to fight sting all the same.**_

**you're not making any sense, elle. just back out. or better yet, just come back to WWE. like, **_**now.**_

_**i can't. christian, please understand, this isn't just about my job. it's a matter of principle and self-respect. i've never backed out of a fight before in my life, and i'll be damned if i start now. i'm a wrestler, not a coward.**_

**elle…**

_**please don't make me back out.**_

He didn't say anything else for a few seconds.

**it's just…you tried so many times to protect me, to save me while we were in TNA together. i guess i'm just trying to return the favor.**

She stopped typing then, absorbing his last sentence. When Christian had left and he didn't tell her about the expiration of his contract, she questioned the strength of their relationship. She valued their friendship deeply, but several times had wondered if there was any strength at all between them, if they were as close as she thought they were.

As close as she had hoped they were.

Her fingers hovered over the keys.

**elle? you still there?**

She took a deep breath.

_**i miss you.**_

There was a short pause.

**then come back.**

She bit her lip.

_**not yet.**_

Another pause.

**i miss you too.**

And then, just like that, she was overcome with serenity, a sense of surrealism. She smiled at how his four simple words could completely wash away the worry from her mind. She recalled memories of their initial meeting, their time together, their time since, and his rather hasty departure. It almost pained her to think of him, the time she'd have to wait before she could go back to the WWE and see him again. She reread his words once more and sighed. She hadn't realized she had gotten so attached to him during his stay. Maybe that's why she had to think about an answer when he asked her if she loved him.

And then there was AJ. She had gotten pretty close to him as well, but that hadn't really happened until Christian left. Was that because AJ and Christian were good friends? Was it because she could see Christian in AJ?

She didn't know.

_**i have to go.**_

**good luck. sting's a tough guy.**

_**i'll manage.**_

She signed off.

End Chapter 8

btw WWE does occasionally do intergender matches. That's what kurt was talking about when he scheduled ellie to fight sting. 'case you were wondering.  
epic fight lies ahead in chapter 9. stay tuned!  
Reviews please!


	9. Showdown

Ellie vs. Sting in this chapter. Should be interesting…I mean, considering that I have no idea how this is going to go, and I usually do. Readers have given me interesting thoughts about how the fight will end. All I can say is…um…enjoy it!  
**Warnings:** male on female violence, a mass beatdown, another twist!  
**Disclaimers:** don't own TNA, stuff, etc…  
**Note:** I'm losing sense of time in this story again. If some TNA storyline events happen when they're not supposed to, if I leave out actual storylines from the show, or if it feels like they're not really progressing through time, then…um…it's AU. There. And no matter how long I keep postponing the Against All Odds PPV, I promise it _will_ come.  
**Note II: **wow. I can honestly say I have the best readers/fans ever. I love reading your reviews and optimisms and anticipations. So enthusiastic. Makes me so happy to read your reviews. Keep 'em coming!

**Chapter 9: showdown**

"_Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is a TNA mixed-gender match and is set for one-fall."_ Scott Steiner was announcing matches for the night, it seemed, and was standing in the ring, reading from a piece of paper. "_Introducing first from Venice Beach, California, he is the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, and is accompanied to the ring by Kurt Angle, representing the Main Event Mafia (and doing a damn good job of it), the Icon…Sting!"_

The lights went out, and Sting, followed by Kurt, walked out to greet the music and the fans. Sting was holding his title belt on his shoulder, but seemed to have left his baseball bat in the back. He walked out onto the ramp and paused, as if hesitating, before continuing down. Some of the fans were yelling at him, and others were cheering. Most of them were booing Kurt. Kevin Nash and Booker T were applauding the both of them.

Steiner lifted the microphone to his mouth again. "_And his opponent, standing in the ring from Temecula, California, and is accompanied by the Overly-Conceited-Thinks-He's-Phenomenal AJ Styles, the Ice Angel (for some reason), Ellie Blackwood."_ He motioned to his left where Ellie was leaning in the corner with AJ, where they had been talking about her conversation with Christian prior to arriving. When Sting and Kurt neared the ring, AJ changed the subject.

"Now, Sting is a tough fighter. Practically a legend, but you can beat him, I know you can," AJ said. "Christian believes you can. _I_ believe you can. I'm in your corner."

"Thanks for the reassurance," she muttered. AJ climbed out as Sting entered the ring. He stayed away from her, lingering in his side of the ring. He seemed to be taking pointers from Kurt in the meantime. AJ was trying to get her attention to give her some last minute pointers as well. A few more words of reassurance from AJ and Kurt, and the referee called for the bell.

Ellie glanced towards Sting and cautiously moved towards the center of the ring. Sting stayed where he was, and Kurt seemed to be saying things like "You can do it, man, just take her out" to him. Ellie held out her arms, inviting him to come closer. He sauntered away from his corner and towards her, looming over her as he neared.

"Are we really going to do this?" she said. "Are we really going to fight each other? Just because Kurt told us to?"

Sting shrugged. "Seems like it."

"We don't have to, you know," she added. "You know what Kurt's doing is wrong, Sting. He's not accomplishing anything by doing this, and you know it. But he trusts you. You can stop him."

"If Kurt thinks that this is for the betterment of the Main Event Mafia, then I stand by him. That's what family does."

"Does he really think of you as family, though?"

Sting was silent.

"_What are they doing? Just looks like they're talking,"_ said Nash. "_But that's no fun, the people came here to see them fight."_

"_Ooh there's some action now, man, you see that?" _Booker T said. "_Ellie Blackwood just pushed Sting!"_

"_Was that a smart move on her part?"_

They had been arguing when Ellie's anger got the better of her. Almost unintentionally, she shoved Sting, who staggered backwards in near-shock. Kurt Angle was in an uproar now, and AJ was telling her to get him. Sting was shouting things at her now as he advanced on her. He got up in her face and the two of them argued again. Without warning, he kicked her in the stomach. Grunting, Ellie doubled over. The crowd was going wild, and Kurt was applauding. So Sting elbowed her in the back and she fell to her knees.

"_Oh here we go, now we're getting the party started."_

Sting got her back up on her feet, and there was no going back. Ellie was still attempting to recover, so couldn't resist when Sting slingshotted her into the ropes. She bounced off of them and dodged a clothesline attempt. She shot herself off of the opposite-side ropes then came charging back for a double-leg takedown.

"_Wow, Ellie Blackwood just took Sting down. You'd think she'd go for the pin right now, but apparently not."_

Ellie was on top of Sting, punching every inch of him her fists could find. Three seconds later, the referee was pulling her off of him. Outside of the ring, Kurt was shouting at her. While Sting was getting up, Ellie pointed at Kurt and shouted "You're next."

She was caught off guard, distracted by Kurt, when Sting came up behind her and rolled her into a small-package. The referee slapped the mat twice before she was able to kick out. She swiped his legs out from under him with an inside-cradle, and he kicked out after one. Both of them stood up.

"We _could_ just you know, stop fighting," Ellie said.

"Scared?"

"Not in the least."

Immediately following her last words, Ellie dived forward in an attempted take-down. Sting was able to hold his balance, and then counter with a side headlock. She flailed helplessly as he swung her around, trying to drain her energy and stamina. She was able to remain on her feet, and managed to shove him off of her and into the ropes. Sting slingshotted back and ducked a clothesline, bounced off the opposite side ropes and straight into a standing dropkick. Ellie scrambled over for a pin, and only got two counts.

When she stood up, she ended up favoring her back. There were hints of pain in her lower back, but had to blow it over before Sting noticed. She thought briefly about what moves she could do to keep her back protected. She ended up doing a standing moonsault, and got another two count pin, and ended up deciding that doing that move wasn't the brightest idea. She rolled off of him painfully and towards the apron to take a quick break.

"_Ellie Blackwood looks like she's hurt herself,"_ Nash said. "_Way to go Elle, that's what you get for biting off more than you can chew."_

"Elle?" AJ said as she rolled over towards him.

"My back hurts like a motherf—."

"You're going to be okay. I can't take over for you, but you _can_ just throw in the towel."

"Are you out of your mind?" she said. "I started this fight, and I'm going to finish it. I just…need to take a breather. I'll be fine."

"So no more backflips, in other words."

"If I die, let Christian know that he's wrong. I'm not an idiot…I'm a _huge_ idiot."

"Don't say that," AJ said. "But do get yourself back in the ring. Sting's recovering." Ellie started to get up. "Oh, Elle. No flying off the top rope, either."

Ellie glared at him for a few seconds. "No guarantees." She rolled back into the ring and stood up, using the ropes for support. Sting was already on his knees. Ellie dashed over and aimed a kick at his midsection, but he caught her foot. She attempted an Enzuigiri, and Sting ducked. Ellie's foot caught nothing but air, and she fell onto her back.

And then in an instant, she felt her legs being twisted around, and once Sting rolled her over onto her stomach, a shooting pain started stabbing at her limbs. Sting had her in his trademark submission move, the Scorpion Deathlock.

She was clawing at the mat, she was pulling at her hair. Anything to take her mind off of the intense pain in her legs. AJ was telling her to grab the ropes. Kurt was yelling at her to tap out, tap out. Ellie screamed a "no" at him, and then began the grueling process of inching her way towards the ropes. The referee asked her if she wanted to give up, and again she screamed "no." She reached for the ropes, but couldn't touch them. She shook her head vigorously and dug her nails into her palms, but would not give up. Again she started dragging herself towards the ropes and reached out, stretching her body as far as it would go. She grabbed the bottom rope.

Immediately, the referee tapped Sting on the arm and told him to get off of her. When he wouldn't, the referee started counting. He released her legs by the count of three. Relief started flowing back into her legs, but they were still in agonizing pain. AJ grabbed her hand and told her again that she could beat him.

"I can beat him?" Ellie repeated. "AJ, I can't even stand!"

"What do you want me to say?" he asked. "I told you that he's tough, I told you to let me fight for you. But you wouldn't listen, so get in there and fight!"

"Your sympathy is heartwarming, truly," she said.

She got up slowly, difficultly, and tested her legs by putting weight on them. They were numb now, but she could tolerate it. Sting was standing in the middle of the ring where he had been waiting for her to get up. Ellie limped towards him.

"You really _are_ an idiot, aren't you?" he said.

"Excuse me?"

"I did that on purpose," he replied. "I tried to end this as quickly and effectively as possible, but you just won't give up."

"Stop trying to protect me, Sting, I don't need your help," Ellie retorted. She kicked him once in the midsection. He doubled over, but managed to punch her in the stomach. She clutched at it as Sting made for the ropes and slingshotted himself off of them. Ellie straightened up in time to react, and using his momentum, she lifted him off the ground and back down in a spinebuster. She got a two count.

"C'mon Sting, stay down," she cooed. She got Sting back up on his feet and tried to slingshot him into the ropes. He countered with an Irish Whip and sent her into his corner, where Kurt was standing. Kurt reached in and grabbed her ankles as she bounced off the ropes, and she fell onto her face. The referee didn't see this, due to AJ being on the ring apron, shouting at Kurt. By the time the referee turned back around, Sting had Ellie's leg up. He slapped the mat once before she kicked out.

Sting left her lying on the ring as he got up and staggered towards one of the corners. He turned to face her and hoisted himself up so he was sitting on the top turnbuckle.

"_What's this? Looks like he might do a leg drop or something."_

Ellie jumped up suddenly and spotted Sting on the top turnbuckle. Jumping straight up into the air, she managed to deliver a kick to the side of his head. Sting went limp. When she got up, she slingshotted herself off the opposite side ropes and back, leaping onto Sting, and down in a Frankensteiner. Sting landed several feet away from her. She pulled herself up using the ropes and leaned against them heavily. Sting was motionless for a while, but then started to get up. Ellie took another few seconds, then ran towards Sting and forced him back down with a bulldog. She rolled him over and got his leg up. He kicked out after a close two-count.

She just wanted this to be over. She couldn't pull off any of her finishing moves on him; most of them involved aerial moves of some sort, and Sting was more than twice her weight. She'd never be able to pull it off.

_What the hell Kurt, I'm at such a gross disadvantage, _she thought.

She did have more than one favorite finishing move. Aside from the Wing Crusher, she was also rather fond of the swinging fisherman suplex, which she picked up from SHIMMER's Daffney. She pulled Sting up to his feet and put him in a front facelock, draping his near arm over her shoulder. She bent down to take a hold of his leg, but she barely grabbed it when he punched her in the side and countered with a DDT. He tried to pin her, and got a two-count.

Sting pulled her to her feet and viciously threw her into the turnbuckles in a corner. She hit them hard and collapsed to the canvas, writhing in pain.

"_That looked lethal,"_ said Nash. "_With any luck, she'll have gotten whiplash and stay down for once."_

He advanced on her and pulled her to her feet. Ellie was slumped up against the turnbuckles now, and stepped up onto the second ropes, pinning her in the corner. He had one hand in her hair and was punching her with the other. Thoughts raced through her head as he delivered shots to her head. She felt the urgency, the need to escape rising with every blow. She had to formulate ideas quickly.

And an idea did come to her.

She managed to block a head shot from him long enough for her to turn around 180 degrees and pull his legs onto her shoulders. She knew he was more than twice as heavy as she was, but she could find no alternative to defeating him. She bit through the pressure and pushed away from the turnbuckles.

"_Ooh, look like she gonna go for the Wing Thing, Ice Whatever, whichever one,_" said Booker.

"_I'm surprised her legs haven't broken yet,"_ said Nash.

Ellie hooked her arms around Sting's middle in a set up for the Wing Crusher. But then he started delivering shots to her head again. Her head was throbbing now worse than ever. Instinctively, involuntarily, she shoved him off of her shoulders. As he dropped down to the mat behind her, he hooked his arm around her neck, bending her backwards as he fell, setting her up in an inverted facelock. She could feel relief in her legs and shoulders, but now her neck was pinned between his arm and his side. He put his hand up to his mouth and hollered to the crowd.

"_Ooh, and there's the Scorpion Death Drop, a nicely executed move there by Sting," _Nash observed. "_There is no way she's getting up now."_

"_Angel got stung!"_ said Booker. "_Got the leg up, 1…2…3, and she is down, she is __down__."_

Sting rolled off of Ellie and stood up so the referee could raise his arm in victory. Kurt was applauding ecstatically. AJ was outside the opposite side of the ring, and he was shouting something to Ellie. It sounded like he was calling her name and asking her if she was okay. She could just make his words out, as there was a ringing in her ears that blocked out much else.

Chest heaving and head throbbing, Ellie rolled her head towards AJ. He needed to get to her, and saw her mouth his name. He grabbed at the middle rope and tried to pull himself up onto the ring apron. Her view of him was blocked when the referee knelt down to check on her. He asked her if she wanted him to get the paramedics or a trainer. Frustrated, she told him to get the hell away from her as she rolled onto her side to look around to the other side of him. AJ was nowhere to be seen.

_What? AJ?_

The referee was pushed aside suddenly, and in his place stood Sting. He was holding his hand out to her, and for a while, she just lay there staring at it questionably. She could almost move again, and to buy time, she did nothing except stare him down. That gave her time to analyze this déjà vu, to wonder what he was up to now. Kurt was standing in the ring now, yelling at the referee, telling him to get out of the ring and that the Mafia had things to do. AJ was still nowhere to be seen. She looked back to Sting, pulling herself up using the bottom rope, glaring up at him.

"I'm not trying to recruit you," he said, still offering her his hand. "And I want you to know that I approved of this match about as much as you did."

She slung her arm around the second rope and said nothing.

"Well if you want to get her up, this is how you do it."

Scott Steiner was suddenly standing next to Sting, shoving him out of the way. Ellie was taken off guard; she hadn't seen him enter the ring. Her legs still couldn't work well, so she couldn't get away when Steiner reached down and seized a handful of her hair. He yanked her to her feet and slingshotted her across the ring, where a waiting Kurt Angle violently clotheslined her back down. She hit the canvas and was motionless. Again she had to wonder—where was AJ?

Her query was soon answered.

"_What the hell is AJ Styles doing now? I thought Scott took him out!"_

AJ dove into the ring and started landing blows to Kurt, Steiner, and Sting. The four men were all over the place, and Ellie could still barely move. She rolled out of the ring as Booker T dashed away from the broadcast table to join in the brawl, taking out AJ.

Ellie collapsed to the matted floor outside the ring. She leaned against one of the ring's corner posts for support, rubbing her back. Someone in the crowd told her that AJ was in trouble and needed her help. At first, Ellie was completely bewildered that the fans were talking to her; she had almost forgotten that they were there. She put her hands on the apron and pulled herself up to observe that AJ was indeed in trouble. She put weight on her legs, to find that she could feel them again.

_And hey, that's good enough for me._

Standing, she saw that several of the Frontline members had arrived to help, but the Mafia had taken them out as well. Scanning the ring, she spotted AJ at the feet of Kurt Angle. The rest of the Mafia (save for Nash, who was still seated at the broadcast table) was delivering beatings to the Frontline members, splayed out all across the canvas.

Determination and rage fueled her as she climbed to the top rope from the outside. No one seemed to notice her. Kevin Nash was probably trying to warn the Mafia that she was up to something, but they seemed too preoccupied with their current brawl to listen.

Kurt got AJ up on his shoulders and turned, taunting him almost. He was about to put him in the Angle Slam, when his eyes landed on Ellie crouched on the top turnbuckle. He looked almost shocked. As soon as she was sure he saw her, she leaped at him feet first, missile dropkicking him squarely in the chest. Unable to defend himself, Kurt took the full force of the blow and fell backwards, dropping AJ. AJ landed on his back and rolled onto his knees. Ellie could see him, and tried to stand to make her way over to him. AJ turned and looked at her, relief washing over his face. She reached out to him with one hand. She took one step before she was forced back down to the mat when Booker T axe-kicked her in the back of the neck. She hit the mat hard.

She blacked out for about twenty seconds.

When she came to, AJ was knelt beside her, one hand on the side of her face. At the edge of the ring, Mick Foley was standing with Abyss and both members of LAX, yelling things into a microphone at the members of the Main Event Mafia, now backing up the ramp.

"What happened?" she muttered.

"Booker kicked you and you passed out for a little bit," AJ said, helping her to sit up. "So this is what you get for wanting to wrestle with the big boys."

"Shut up, AJ," she said. "Where were you after the fight?"

"Sorry, Elle. I tried to jump in, but Steiner got to me first. Can you sit up?"

"I think so," she said. He put a supporting hand on her back. "What's going on now?"

"Mick is dealing with the Mafia, booking some fights for tonight," he answered.

"We're back in control?"

"Well not _us,_ technically you know, but original management. The original staff, yes."

"I'm kind of relieved…" she mused. "Or maybe it's just all of the blood pooling in the back of my head."

"Take it easy, Elle," AJ said, warily.

He looked like he was going to say more, but she froze and held up her hand, cutting him off. Mick had been talking the whole time that AJ was helping her, and she had just now tuned in. "What was that?"

"That was me telling you to take it easy." She shook her head slowly.

"No…listen." She pointed towards Mick.

"_And Steiner…you're going to be the little boy that Santa forgot about…"_ Mick continued.

Ellie smiled at AJ. "Did you hear that? Sounds like Mick's getting some payback for you." Turns out, Foley decided to put Scott Steiner in a weapons match against Abyss. The only difference was that Abyss could use any weapon he wanted to, and Steiner could use nothing. Abyss would be like a little kid on Christmas morning, while Steiner would be the one that Santa truly forgot about.

AJ grinned. "Shame I can't have the pleasure of taking payback for myself."

"_And Kurt…as for you, I must say in all my years in this business, I've never seen a man talk down to, degrade, and act so garishly towards a woman before,"_ Mick said. "_I can't in all good consciousness get revenge on you for her, so Ellie, I'm letting you decide what you want to do with him. In the meantime, I've got a little something for you, Kurt. You like booking handicap matches? How's this for a handicap match? You against both members of LAX, tonight!"_

"Odd," Ellie said. "Kurt didn't even go through with the Sting vs. Team 3D handicap match. Still, I'm not complaining."

AJ smiled. "It's good that we can both get payback, then. C'mon, Elle. Let's get you out of here."

**.xXx.**

The results from that night…didn't quite turn out the way Ellie had expected or wanted them to. Scott Steiner lost by disqualification, and Kurt actually won his handicap match. AJ offered her a spot in the Frontline again, and once more, she declined, saying that regardless of whether she joined or not, it seemed like she was going to get equal treatment either way.

A week later, and Kurt was put in a tag team match with Sting against Team 3D. Ellie was weary of the management's motives. Against All Odds was soon, and Kurt, Sting, Brother Ray, and Brother Devon were going to be in a fatal four-way for the world heavyweight championship. Kurt made a point of letting everyone know.

"Sting and I are tag teaming against Team 3D tonight before we go face to face with not only Team 3D, but with each _other_ next Sunday at Against All Odds," he said, taking a few steps around the ring. The rest of the Mafia stood behind him supportively. "This tag team, as well as the fatal four-way will not in any way hurt the Mafia. Sting and I have gone against each other before, and will gladly do it again if it's for the betterment of this family. One thing I can guarantee, is that at the end of the night, the world heavyweight championship will remain inside the Main Event Mafia."

He paused briefly to wait for the audience to quiet down. "And of course, there is still the issue of what to do with AJ Styles and Ellie Blackwood. I have warned them repeatedly that if they continued to interfere in the Mafia's business, that there would be repercussions. And there have been. But does that stop them? Of course not. I can also guarantee that in the near future, the Main Event Mafia will take them and the entire TNA Frontline out _permanently_. But first things first, and that would be Sting's and my tag team match tonight."

Heavy music started blaring then, cutting him off. The music, as they all well knew, belonged to a certain familiar someone. Someone that he didn't quite want to see right now.

"Oh you know, I'm actually glad you're tag teaming tonight, Kurt," Ellie said into a microphone as she strolled out onto the ramp. "It'll be good practice for _next week_."

The crowd cheered, though they were just as confused as Kurt was. He stared at her questioningly. The rest of the Mafia started whispering amongst themselves.

"What are you talking about, Ellie?" he said.

"Well, last week when Mick Foley came down to the ring to save AJ and the Frontline from the mass beatdown you guys delivered and started booking matches, there was one match that he didn't tell you about," she said, then held up her hand. "Mick decided that I had the right to exact some revenge against you Kurt."

"Revenge?" Kurt questioned. "_What_ revenge?"

"You're kidding!" Ellie exclaimed. "You Angle Slammed me when I did _nothing_ to threaten you! You put me in a fight against Sting, and _neither_ of us wanted to be there! Then, you took me down yourself while your _accomplices_ kept AJ from saving me. So if you're going to tell me that I don't have the right to take revenge on you, well then you're _wrong!_"

"_Things are heating up now between the Olympic Gold Medalist and the Ice Angel now."_

Kurt seemed like he was getting impatient with her. "What's your point, Elle?"

She held up a finger. "Ah-ah, Kurt, I told you not to call me that. You still haven't earned that right yet."

He waved his hand around, trying to move the conversation along.

"You say that what we did, what the Frontline did was morally unjust, but that was nothing compared to what _you've_ been doing to _me_ ever since I got here. The Angle Slam? The post-match beatdown?"

Kurt held up his hand. "Ellie, I want to say that was—."

"Shut the hell up, Kurt!" she shouted, taking a step forward. "What you did to me after I tried to save Christian, _that_ was morally inexcusable! Last week, clotheslining me _after_ that fight was over, after I _lost_, _that_ was morally inexcusable!"

"I put you in the Angle Slam because you interfered in our business!" Kurt said. "You interfered after I told you never to again. What happened is completely justified. Did you think I was kidding when I said that there would be consequences? You attacked each and every one of us, and you're calling _us_ the bad guys?"

"Why yes, in fact, I am," Ellie continued. "I was saving a neutral party from a senseless beatdown, in case you didn't already catch that. I myself never intended on becoming the victim, but so happens that you can't keep your hands off me. You do hit after hit on the Frontline, and now you're doing hits on neutral parties? On _women_? Who's out of line, here, Kurt?"

"Hang on—."

"You've been getting away with far too much for far too long," she said. "Everything that you did to me and the others, will _NOT_ go without consequences of our own. So back to what I said earlier. You ready for this? I said that tag teaming tonight was good practice for next week. Well let me explain what I meant…I said tonight is good practice, because next week, you're going to be in the ring again, tag teaming against me and the Phenomenal AJ Styles."

"_Oh __there'__s a twist!"_

Kurt smiled and glanced towards the ground. "Nice try, Ellie. But last I checked, you don't have the authority to book matches."

Ellie shifted her weight. "Oh. Hey, it seems you're right. I _don't_ have that authority."

"But _I _do." Dale Oliver's _Bang! Bang!_ started playing, and the Main Event Mafia looked on with stunned faces as Mick Foley walked out to stand with Ellie. She did not look at him, but did smile wider as he approached her.

"Sorry I didn't tell you about this earlier, Kurt," Mick said, "but I did say that I wanted Ellie to have the opportunity to decide for herself what she wanted to do with you, and lo and behold, this is what she picked. Be glad she didn't opt to put you in some sort of horrible extreme weapons match or anything. So in one week, you and the tag team partner of your choice will face off against AJ Styles and Ellie Blackwood."

"True I didn't make it a hardcore match," Ellie said, "but I was sure to include a stipulation. This tag team match? I could very well use weapons if I want to, because _it's no disqualification."_

Kurt was frozen and silent for a while, soaking this all in.

"You're probably wondering why I'm doing this," Ellie said. "Sure I could just as easily interfere in your match tonight, or I could ambush you in the back and just beat the crap out of you myself." She smiled and shook her head slightly. "But surprisingly, that's not my style. We're going to take this in the ring, like _reasonable_ adults, the ring where you beat me down multiple times before, the ring where there's going to be _HELL_ to pay!" She paused. "You're probably wondering why I'm doing this. Well Kurt, you already know why. You even said it yourself, back when you demanded a rematch against AJ." She took another step forward. "It's because, quite simply, Kurt…payback, is a _BITCH._"

Mick Foley's music hit and he raised her arm up. She pointed one finger at Kurt, grinning maliciously. With that being done, the two of them headed backstage once more.

**.xXx.**

"Has she _forgotten_ about us?" Angelina said.

"I don't know what you mean," Cornette replied.

"_Ellie Blackwood_, Jim!" Velvet shouted. "She thinks she's so high and mighty, so important because she tangles with the big boys. How mighty _is_ she if she takes this all upon herself and then _loses_?"

"She comes here, claiming that she's going to (scoff) _teach a lesson_ to Velvet and me, and then gets sidetracked by a bunch of oversized apes," Angelina said. "We need to remind her why she's here, and why she won't be here for very much longer."

"I see your point," Cornette said. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"Well, Ellie needs to be reminded of her 'quest,' if you will, and our girl Madison is still undergoing initiation," Angelina answered. "Put Ellie in a match against Madison, _tonight_."

**.xXx.**

"You've got to be kidding," Ellie said.

"That's what Jim said," Traci answered. Traci was standing in the doorway of Ellie's dressing room. Ellie herself was not happy at all.

"I can't be in a match tonight, I've already got one set for next week," she said. "AJ and I need to start training together."

"There's nothing I can do about it, sorry," Traci said, apologetically. "I just came here to tell you that you're squaring off against Madison Rayne later tonight."

"That's…that's not so bad, actually," Ellie said. She had been watching Madison's progress upon her arrival in TNA. To say in the least, it was short of impressive. Ellie still had yet to see Madison win a singles match.

"Glad to hear it," Traci said. "Well, good luck tonight—."

"Traci, wait," Ellie said. "How about we make it exciting?"

"How so?"

"We add a stipulation," Ellie answered with a grin.

"What did you have in mind?"

**.xXx.**

When Traci left Ellie's dressing room, Lauren was waiting for her. Ellie stepped outside and closed the door, spying Lauren, and leaned up against the wall patiently, contently. Lauren advanced, microphone in hand.

"Ellie, what just happened?"

"You know, Lauren," Ellie mused, "there's been a lot of talk around TNA that I don't know what I'm doing, I'm not ready to fight in TNA, that I'm ignorant and crazy for getting myself into this Mafia/Frontline war. Which is fine, I can just brush all that off. But what I _can't_ brush off is Angelina and Velvet telling everyone that I've forgotten my original purpose here. Of course I haven't! But do you think that I've had the _time_ to deal with them? When do I have the time to fight Madison when I have a huge match next week, the Mafia's all up in my face, and my original tag team partners, Christy and Roxxi, are out with injuries?"

"But this match tonight against Madison Rayne, are you still going to go through with it?"

"Of course I am! If I was the kind of person who turned down challenges, I wouldn't have fought Sting last week, right?"

"And I overheard you say to Traci that you wanted to make it more exciting. What did you mean by that?"

Ellie smiled reflectively. "I've never really been one who believes in karma. You know, what goes around comes around, that sort of crap. But I always _have_ been one to bite back, and when I do, I bite back _hard_. So if those three bleach-blond skanks want to give me hell, that's fine, because I will deliver hell right back, _tenfold_. If they want to rope me into another match in the middle of chaos, that's fine, because I'll just bite back and make it into a _submission match_."

Lauren was silent, gaping. Ellie held up her arms.

"My favorite kind of extreme rules match," Ellie continued, grinning malevolently. "I love bending the rules, don't you?"

Chuckling slightly to herself, Ellie walked back into her room.

End Chapter 9

I'm thinking of doing either a prequel or a sequel to this story after it's done. The prequel would focus on how Ellie became a wrestler and her days in the WWE. The sequel would focus on her return to TNA and her stay. What would you guys like to see?  
Recall that in previous episodes of Impact, it was revealed that for a while, Kevin Nash was rendered inactive due to a staph infection in his elbow. Therefore, he was seated at the broadcast table instead of partaking in the post-Ellie vs. Sting fight brawl.  
Sorry to disappoint anyone who thought Ellie was going to win.  
Did everyone like how I recreated Booker T's stereotypical black guy talk? It was fun to do.  
Another epic fight next chapter, Ellie vs. Madison this time. Should be sweet. Review!


	10. Surprise, Surprise

So, movin' right along now. Glad to know people read my story. Keep those reveiws coming!  
**Warnings:** fluffiness. Ellie fights Madison in this chapter, so violence is guaranteed. I think Ellie's starting to go crazy, so there's going to be a _lot_ of violence. Also, brace yourself for a surprise return!  
**Note:** following the ellie vs. madison submission match, the story (at the end of the chapter) will then be in say, late February 2009.  
**Prequel note: **so it's decided. After Vindictive Angels is over, I'll be writing a prequel! It'll be about Ellie's break as a pro wrestler and her days in the WWE, and will also reveal parts of her past. Starring Ellie (who will have a different name) and Jeff Hardy, co-starring Edge. More details and a descriptive summary will be at the end of this story's epilogue. If you have ideas for a title, I'd love to hear them.  
A sequel may or may not happen. If you want a sequel, tell me what you want to see in it.  
**Disclaimers:** don't own TNA, but I own ellie and her corresponding submission move.

**Chapter 10: surprise, surprise **

So it was out. Ellie and Madison were going to be in a submission match that night. She wondered how the Beautiful People were going to react to that, but at the same time, didn't know when they were going to find out. Ellie was comfortably within the confines of her dressing room now, having just been interviewed by Lauren. She moved across the room and switched on the live-circuit TV on her table before sitting down on the couch and opening up her laptop.

The TV showed Mike and Don going over the final match card for the Against All Odds Pay-Per-View this Sunday. Ellie herself wasn't competing that day, which would give her more time to kick back and relax, and maybe even touch up on tag team moves.

And when was Roxxi coming back? Surely she couldn't be out with an injury for so long. Ellie was becoming concerned now. If Roxxi didn't come back soon, Ellie couldn't tag team with her, she'd never get to leave TNA, and be forever stuck in this war between the Frontline and the Main Event Mafia. AJ couldn't keep her out of trouble forever. She knew that, but at the same time, she didn't want to jump ship to the WWE until she had her tag team match with Roxxi.

_What a dilemma,_ she thought.

"_A submission match?"_ Angelina screeched. Ellie turned her head towards the TV and grinned. "_She's putting our Madison into a submission match? We can't send our girl into the ring with that vicious beast __now__!"_

"Ouch…" Ellie said. "Well, that's what you get."

Madison remained silent.

Ellie logged on to the internet and to her instant messaging service. A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth when she saw that Christian was online. She highlighted his name and clicked on "New IM."

_**hey there.**_

There was a brief pause.

**well look who it is. how you doing elle?**

She smiled. Seeing his words sent her into a surreal calm.

_**been better. have you been watching TNA?**_

**whenever i get the chance. why, has something else happened?**

_**well one, i lost to Sting.**_

**please don't take offense if i say that i saw it coming.**

_**none taken. anyway, two, i'm tag teaming with AJ against Kurt next week.**_

**handicap match?**

_**no, he just hasn't picked a partner yet, that i know of. and three, i don't get any time to train with AJ, because i'm in another match tonight.**_

**sounds rough. who's the unlucky soul this time?**

_**heh. it's Madison Rayne.**_

**oh i had no idea you liked to pick on the new kids.**

_**i do, but that's beside the point. i was forced into this match. joke's on them though, i turned it into a submission match.**_

**you like submission matches?**

_**they're among my favorite kinds of matches.**_

**you know, you're very contradictory of yourself.**

_**oh?**_

**yeah. your nickname is the ice **_**angel.**_** yet you come off suddenly all crazy and like "i like extreme rules matches" and all. you're an **_**angel**_**, you're supposed to be nice.**

_**well, my WWE nickname **__**was**__** the Demonic Angel. i guess i held on to it. besides, if Angelina and Velvet want to give me hell and rope me into another match tonight, then i'll just give them hell right back. they just have no idea who they're dealing with.**_

**you sure are one vindictive angel, then.**

She stopped typing, rereading his last sentence.

_**you know, Angelina's TNA name used to be Angel Williams. does this make her a vindictive angel too?**_

**good lord, TNA is just full of you guys.**

_**i like the competition.**_ She paused. _**anyway, i really should go get ready for my fight.**_

**i'll be right here.**

Ellie set up her "Fighting" away message and closed her laptop. As she started getting dressed, she contemplated all possible submission moves she could apply to end the fight as soon as possible, knowing that Christian was waiting for her.

In more ways than one.

**.xXx.**

"_Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is a TNA Knockouts submission match. Introducing first, representing the Beautiful People and is accompanied to the ring by Angelina Love and Velvet Sky, from Seattle, Washington, Madison Rayne!"_

The fans jeered as the three women made their dramatic entrance and escorted Madison down the ramp. Madison's popularity seemed to have gone down since she had turned heel, but then rose again since she joined the Beautiful People. It made Ellie retch just to think about it.

"_Introducing next, her opponent from Temecula, California, the Ice Angel, Ellie Blackwood!"_

Ellie skipped her own tattoo-showing entrance and instead cavorted down the ramp immediately after exiting the tunnel. The broadcasters noticed this and commentated. She high-fived the fans as she neared the ring and jumped inside. She circled the Beautiful People, who began to condescend her and try to intimidate her.

"You've got _nothing_ on our girl Madison!" Angelina shouted.

"She'll tear you apart!" Velvet said.

Ellie doubled over with laughter, cackling maliciously. "Seriously? _That_ thing is going to make _me_ submit? _Well then bring it!"_

The bell rang.

Angelina and Velvet climbed out of the ring as Ellie and Madison started circling each other.

"_Maybe it's just me, Mike, but it kind of seems like Ellie Blackwood's lost her mind."_

"_How do you figure?"_ Mike asked.

"_Well, look. She fights Sting one-on-one, loses, and then is beaten down by the Mafia for the umpteenth time. She gets herself into a tag team match against the Godfather, a no disqualification tag team match no less, and now a submission match against the lovely Madison Rayne. I'd say she's gone crazy with revenge!"_

"_What, you think because she challenged Madison to a submission match, that automatically means she's hell-bent on revenge against the Mafia?"_

"_Did you hear her cackling? She's lost her freaking mind! She keeps conjuring all these extreme rules matches so she can do whatever she pleases to her enemies. On top of that, she's still preaching about how she's going to take out the Beautiful People, and now she has her sights set on Madison Rayne."_

Ellie and Madison were glaring each other down, and Ellie was sure she had her opponent's eyes focused on hers. This gave Madison less time to react when Ellie went for a take-down and connected. Madison was supine on the floor with her legs in Ellie's hands. Ellie immediately tried to go for a Figure-4 leglock, but Madison kicked out of it when she didn't lock it in quick enough. Madison scrambled to her hands and knees, then dove at Ellie, forcing her back down to the mat.

Angelina and Velvet were screaming malevolent encouragements to Madison from the outside as she mounted Ellie and started pummeling her. Ellie had her arms up over her face and was blocking the blows. She managed to move her head to the side when Madison struck, so she caught nothing but canvas. Ellie grabbed the extended arm and threw her legs over Madison's shoulder and wrenched on the arm.

"_Ooo Ellie Blackwood has a very nice MMA-style arm bar going on Madison Rayne."_

"_This just kind of proves my point that she's crazy. She could break her arm with that move!"_

"_Will you shut up? Oh—kick to the head by Madison, and the hold is broken."_

Ellie rolled over onto her stomach and clutched at her head where Madison had kicked her. Two seconds later, she felt Madison sit on her back, pull her arms over behind her, and wrench her head back with a chinlock. Madison now had Ellie locked into a Camel Clutch.

This wasn't the easiest submission move to get out of, but Ellie knew that she could get out of it. Her arms were squeezed between Madison's thighs and sides at the moment, and her neck felt like it was going to sever. The referee asked her if she wanted to give up, and she shook her head with limited vigor. Ellie managed to pry her hands free, and still in the chinlock, wrapped her arms around Madison's legs as she arduously got to her knees. She lifted Madison off the ground, still clinging to her back, as she stood. The chinlock was significantly weaker now, and Ellie stumbled backwards until she drove Madison into one of the corners of the ring. Madison promptly released her hold on Ellie's head and leaned up against the turnbuckles. Ellie staggered away, her hand on her neck.

When she looked back to her opponent, she saw Madison wearily making her way back towards the center of the ring. Ellie advanced and ducked down, then put Madison in a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker over her thigh. Madison rolled off and landed on her stomach. Ellie slid up beside her as she was getting up, and captured her in an inverted facelock. She completed the Dragon Sleeper hold by pulling her near arm and neck in opposite directions.

Madison screamed, kicking feebly at the mat with her legs. As the seconds wore on, her struggles became less noticeable. Ellie tightened the facelock, shooting a death glare towards Angelina and Velvet. Both of them took one step away from the ring.

"Check her!" Ellie shouted to the referee. The referee took a hold of Madison's other arm and raised it into the air, then released it. It hit the mat. He raised it a second time, and again it fell to the floor. The third time, Madison managed to catch it in mid-air and kept it from hitting the mat once more. Madison's body started shaking and her free hand balled up into a fist. One second later, she rolled onto her back, flinging Ellie off of her. While Madison was standing up, Ellie went in for a short-distance spear. Madison hit the ropes and bounced back. Ellie came up behind her and threw her into a backdrop suplex. Ellie barred her teeth at the Beautiful People outside the ring. Both of them were speechless.

Madison had gotten up while Ellie was distracted with Angelina and Velvet, who had been buying Madison some time by arguing with and talking down to her, effectively hitting her with a backstabber. Writhing, Ellie fell onto her stomach. Madison came over and rolled her into a sitting-up position, pressed her knee against Ellie's back and drew back on her arms, locking in a Surfboard. Ellie tried to bite through it by gnashing her teeth together. When that didn't work, she tried to pull her arms out of Madison's grip. She arched her back away from Madison's knee and struggled to get to her feet. Madison lost her hold on Ellie's wrists, and Ellie seized the opportunity to put her opponent in a jawbreaker. Madison staggered backwards.

Ellie pulled herself up using the ropes. Madison was doubled over, her hand over her mouth. Ellie watched her attentively for a few terse seconds, then sprinted towards her with the intent of pulling off a swinging neckbreaker. Madison straightened up and countered with a clothesline, sending Ellie to the mat. Angelina and Velvet cheered from the outside. Madison pulled Ellie to her feet and whipped her into the turnbuckles. She hit them hard, and grabbed on to the top rope for support. Madison approached and drove her shoulder repeatedly into Ellie's midsection.

"_This match might go on for a while yet,"_ said Mike. "_It's just been mostly back and forth so far between both Knockouts."_

When Madison pulled back to deliver another shoulder drive, Ellie hoisted herself up to sit on the top turnbuckle. Madison caught nothing but air. Ellie reached down and pulled her head up to lock her into a front facelock, then launched herself off the turnbuckle, spinning Madison 180 degrees, then down to the mat in a tornado DDT. She had seen Christian use this move many times while fighting in ECW, and wondered absently if he would accuse her of stealing his moves as well. She grinned.

Ellie wrapped her arm around Madison's neck and applied a rear-naked choke. She flexed her bicep to put additional pressure on Madison's neck. Three seconds later, Madison slapped the mat with a hand. She waited contently for the referee to declare the match over, but he was nowhere to be seen. The bell never rang. Confused, she released her hold on Madison and stood up, looking around. Behind her, Angelina was standing on the ring apron and the referee was telling her to get down or he'd send her to the back.

"_Are you kidding me?_" she screamed. Ellie threw herself across the ring and delivered a running dropkick to Angelina, sending her down to the floor. She laid out Velvet Sky with a baseball slide kick before telling the referee to stop getting distracted by fancied-up whores and pay attention to the fight. The referee said he didn't see Madison tap out, and therefore, the fight was to continue.

Madison jumped Ellie from behind while she was sidetracked with the referee and leveled her with a shoulder neckbreaker. Ellie fell onto her face, unmoving for a while, waiting for the pain in her neck to subside.

_Well…_ she thought, _so much for ending the fight quickly._

Madison picked up Ellie's legs and dragged her back towards the center of the ring. Still holding Ellie's legs, Madison bent her backwards by stepping towards her head. She completed the Boston Crab by dropping down to a sitting position. Ellie's legs were in Madison's hands, and her head was between Madison's legs.

"_It helps to be flexible if you're going to be put in this move,"_ said Mike. "_Let's hope Ellie is."_

She could feel her rib cage expanding painfully, and her back was being compressed against itself. Ellie clawed at the mat, telling herself that there was no way she was going to be beaten by one of the Beautiful People _again_. She pulled her hands to her shoulders and did a push up. Sensing a retaliation, Madison stood up and flipped Ellie onto her back. She conversed briefly with Angelina and Velvet as Ellie pulled herself towards the ropes. Relief flowed back into her torso, and she heaved a sigh.

Madison stomped her way towards Ellie as she started to pull herself up using the ropes. Ellie tripped her with a drop toe-hold, sending Madison onto the middle rope. Ellie stood, supporting her aching ribs. Once she caught her second wind, she draped her leg over Madison's neck, reached down and took a hold of the second rope and pulled it upwards.

"_Uh oh, Ellie Blackwood's applied a leg choke to Madison Rayne,"_ said Mike. "_She could get disqualified for using this move."_

"_Case in point,"_ Don said.

The referee came over to them and tapped Ellie on the shoulder as Madison flailed helplessly as she was being choked against the middle rope. When Ellie wouldn't break her hold, the referee started counting. Ellie jumped off of Madison when he reached four. She backed away as Angelina and Velvet circled around to check on Madison and to accuse the referee of counting too slowly. Ellie threw up her arms.

_Again with the damn distractions!_ she thought. _I don't have time for this, Christian is waiting on me. If they had just stayed in the back, I could be done by now._

Angelina and Velvet were too occupied with Madison and the referee, so they didn't see Ellie grab a hold of the top rope and kneel down. Ellie slingshotted herself over the top rope and came crashing back down on the outside with a crossbody dive on the Beautiful People. Don West provided additional commentary on Ellie's sanity.

Ellie stood up, dragging Angelina to her feet with her. With both hands in Angelina's hair, she sent her over the guard rails and into the crowd. As Velvet was getting up, Ellie speared her into the steel steps. She hit with a sickening thud and fell limply to the floor. Ellie let them both know that she was sick of them, and then turned back towards the ring.

She found herself holding on to the guard rails after Madison, who had used the interference time to recover, delivered a baseball slide kick to Ellie's face and sent her back a few feet. While Ellie was leaning against the guard rails holding her face together in one hand, Madison climbed out of the ring to retrieve her opponent. She grabbed a hold of Ellie's hair and pants and tossed her back into the ring, following her in shortly after. By the time she got back inside the ring, Ellie was standing up. Ellie aimed a kick at Madison's stomach, but she managed to grab her foot. Before Ellie could attempt an Enzuigiri, Madison swiped Ellie's other leg out from under her, forcing both of them to the floor. Madison wrapped her own legs around Ellie's and wrenched on it.

"_Well from over here, it looks like Madison Rayne is attempting a kneebar."_

"_She doesn't really have it locked in, though."_

"_Oh and it's broken! Ellie Blackwood just dropped her heel right into Madison's midsection!"_

"Oh that's it, this is going to end," Ellie muttered, standing up. She approached Madison, who was on her knees, and grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her to her feet. She glared at the Beautiful People, now back at ringside, as she wrapped her arm around Madison's neck and grabbed a hold of her near arm. She then fell backwards to put Madison in a Reverse STO. Angelina immediately started shouting at Ellie that she was stealing her moves.

Ellie made a stabbing motion towards the announcers while mouthing the word "Icepick." They didn't pick up on it. Ellie put her knees on either side of Madison, face down, before pointing one finger to Angelina and Velvet. She placed her left knee in the crook of Madison's back, took her left arm and squeezed it in between the calf and thigh of her right leg, then reached down and applied a chinlock. Driving her knee into Madison's back created additional pressure to her body, and provided leverage for her to pull back more with the chinlock. Madison screamed and kicked at the canvas with her feet. Ellie could tell this wasn't going to end quickly enough, so she dropped her right knee down to the mat, and Madison's arm with it, pulling on the muscles in her left shoulder. Madison tapped out immediately with her free hand.

This time, the referee saw it.

As the bell rang, he tapped Ellie on the shoulder, telling her to get off of Madison. She gladly rolled off of her opponent, and the ref held her arm up. He released her arm a few seconds later and went to go check on Madison, still unmoving on the floor. Ellie moved towards the ropes with the intent of getting out of there pronto so she could get backstage and…turn off her computer.

_Yeah, that's it…_

She had her hand on the top rope and started to bend down to climb out of the ring, when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and then blinding pain in her eyes. Another hand grabbed a hold of her hair and roughly pulled her onto her back. Ellie couldn't see.

"_Oh come on now, we don't need this,_" Mike said. "_Angelina Love just sprayed something into the eyes of Ellie Blackwood. Probably hairspray. And the beatdown ensues."_

It hurt to open her eyes, so she didn't. She tried to rub the spray out of her eyes, and all the while, she could hear movement around her. Someone started putting their boots to her ribs, and all she could do was roll onto her side. She heard the sound of something crinkling as she was pulled into a sitting position, and the next time she opened her eyes, she found herself staring at the inside of a brown paper bag. Then the assault resumed.

Two pairs of boots were attacking her ribs. A few seconds later, and the crowd started booing. The bag slipped off her head a little, and she could see Angelina holding her arms up to the fans. Her eyes still stung, but at least she could see. The bag fell back over her eyes.

Four seconds later, and the assault stopped. Angelina started screaming "Get her!" at Velvet and Madison, but it soon became clear that she did not mean Ellie. There was scurrying all around her. Two people fell to the canvas with a thud, and one of them got right back up. Another one screamed and was thrown out of the ring. Five seconds later, and a third person was slammed onto the canvas** (1)**. The crowd was cheering now. The announcers were saying something, but she couldn't make it out. Then the bag was pulled off her head.

Roxxi was kneeling beside her, shouting profanities at the Beautiful People. Velvet and Madison were dragging Angelina out of the ring, who had been lying stiffly on the canvas in the aftermath of a Voodoo Drop. Ellie stared at Roxxi incredulously, the pain in her ribs now just a dull throbbing. It suddenly hit Ellie that her tag team partner was back, and a smile broke across her face. They both stood up, and Ellie flung her arms around Roxxi's neck.

"I'm so glad you're back, Roxx," she said. Roxxi hugged her back and laughed. "There's so much I have to tell you."

"There's also much we have to take care of," Roxxi replied.

"Oh you got that right," Ellie said. She turned towards the Beautiful People, now backing up the ramp, and pointed at them. "It's on _now!_"

Roxxi raised her arm up in victory. They hugged again, then headed backstage.

**.xXx.**

"Our tag team match actually won't be for a little while longer," Ellie said as they walked into the wrestler's waiting area. "I need to start training with AJ. He and I have a match together next week."

"Not a problem," Roxxi said. "Go ahead and focus on your match. When we get around to ours, we get around to it."

"How's your ankle?"

"Been better," she said. "But I think this is as good as it's going to be, so I came back."

"Glad you're back, though," Ellie said. "Though it seems like, during your absence, you were able to style your hair?"

Roxxi's hair had been growing back at a steady rate. The last time Ellie had seen her, her hair was nothing more than a short peach fuzz. But now, she had enough hair to spike.

"I do like it better this way," Roxxi said, grinning.

Taylor Wilde stopped by to check on Roxxi as well. They decided that while Ellie was out training and fighting with AJ, the two of them would concoct a plan of their own to get back at Angelina and Velvet. Ellie said she'd catch up with them later while they were scheming. The three of them parted ways.

**.xXx.**

She ran her finger over the mouse pad to wake up her computer, which immediately lit up again. She opened up her instant messaging service and closed her Away message. Upon checking her Buddy List, she saw that Christian was still online. She opened up their window.

_**well well. you really did wait for me.**_

**told you. took longer than i thought, though.**

_**sorry**__**! i would have been back sooner, but i kept having to deal with distractions and shit. **_

**did you win?**

_**of course i did. that didn't sit too well with Angelina and Velvet, though, who proceeded to deliver the pain post-match.**_

**haha i know how that feels. how'd you get out of it?**

_**omg dude, Roxxi came back and made the save.**_

**nice! so now you can get your tag team match out of the way and come back to WWE?**

_**well look who's mr. enthusiastic today. first things first, i do need to tag team with AJ next week. why are you so eager for me to go back to WWE anyway?**_

There was a pause.

**TNA…is just…i dunno. seems like everyone's turning heel. i'd hate for you to get mixed up in the middle of all that for so long. at least in the WWE, there's plenty of nice people you can count on to watch your back.**

_**i can find people like that here too. no really, why so eager?**_

Another pause.

**i want to see you.**

At first, she merely sat there and gaped blankly at her computer screen. After a few seconds, Christian started asking her if she was still there, but she didn't reply.

_How can he do this to me?_ she thought. _He asks me if I love him, and I say no. I ask him if he loves me, and he says no. Now he's dealing out all sorts of mushy junk like he __wants__ me to be in love with him. How dare you play me like this!_

She settled her fingers on the keys again, thinking of what she could say to him to tell him off. Instead, after a few moments of deliberation, she stopped herself, rereading his last message.

"**i want to see you."**

She inhaled deeply, relaxing herself. Content, she started typing again.

_**me too.**_

There was nothing more to say. There was nothing more she _could_ say.

**.xXx.**

Against All Odds came and went with little being changed. Ellie had hung around in the back with AJ, who also hadn't competed that night, and watched with disapproval. Awesome Kong, Sting, Beer Money, Alex Shelley, and Booker T all retained their gold. Among the singles non-title matches was the Scott Steiner vs. Petey Williams match. Petey, once again, was defeated. Ellie was becoming worried about his future in TNA.

"Petey'll pull through," AJ said. "He always does. Besides, he has the whole Frontline behind him, remember?"

She and AJ were backstage in the wrestler's waiting room. Ellie was sitting on the edge of a table, and AJ was sitting in a chair next to her. It was two weeks after the Pay-Per-View, and the two of them were gearing up for their tag team match. Their match had been postponed another week, due to Mick Foley dealing out more pain to Kurt Angle. He put Kurt and Sting in another tag team match against Team 3D, where the results leaned towards the Frontline's favor. The first tag team match with Kurt and Sting versus Team 3D also leaned in the Frontline's favor. Kurt wouldn't tag Sting in, saying that he didn't need him. There was a fight going on in the ring right now. After that, Don and Mike would wrap it up and go over current feuds and the schedule, and the very beginnings of their next Pay-Per-View, Destination X.

"Anyway, you should go after the Knockouts title this time, Elle," AJ said. "I mean, at Against All Odds, it was Kong versus ODB, but that could have been you, had you just agreed to be in the gauntlet match. _You_ could be facing Kong instead of Sojo in March. Who knows? Maybe you'd win it—you've won against her before."

"AJ, you know as well as anyone else that I have no interest in winning any TNA championships," she answered. "Destination X will be just another Pay-Per-View."

"I do know why you won't go after the title, but you'd still look good with it," he said. "You've earned it, for sure. It wouldn't hurt to win it, even if you're not going to be here for much longer. Add it to your list of accomplishments, you know?"

For a while, she actually thought about it. "We'll see." She glanced at him. "Anyway, how goes your quest for the Legends Championship?"

"Ah, that," AJ said. "Booker's really starting to piss me off. I'm going to talk to Jim and see if I can score a title match with him at Destination X."

"Good luck with that."

There was a brief silence.

"Do you know who Kurt picked to be his tag team partner yet?" AJ asked.

"Not yet," Ellie answered. "This put me at a real disadvantage the whole week I was training and researching. Now I don't know what to expect. Still, it's very unlikely that Kurt would go at this alone."

"Dunno, he seemed pretty on his own last week, didn't he?" AJ said.

She knew what he was talking about. Everyone in the Impact Zone had taken the time to watch the previous week's main event. Sting had retained his title at Against All Odds, and Kurt was not happy. The night had opened with Kurt complaining about how he should be the champion, not Sting. It would have been his thirteenth world title, had he won. Since then, trouble had been abrewing between him and Sting. That trouble reached a boiling point that week when he and Sting tag teamed against Team 3D. Last week, Kurt started the fight, but once he tagged Sting in, he wouldn't tag him out. The fight was won when Sting forced a tag and Brother Ray got a roll-up on Kurt. A brawl ensued between the two Mafia members.

"So I wouldn't be so sure," AJ said. "He's done his share of handicap matches before."

She paused. "Do you think he would?"

AJ shrugged. "I don't know. Still, if he did, I wouldn't complain."

Ellie smiled. "Does he even get along with any of the Knockouts?"

"He used to get along with Kong," AJ said. "Notice how I said 'used to.'"

"What, that's it?"

"I dunno," AJ said. "Last I heard, he was in a pretty good place with Rhaka Khan."

"That's creepy to envision," Ellie said. "Still, I haven't seen Rhaka since the Kongtourage broke up. She and Sojo still together?"

"I'm sure you'd know better than I would."

"I guess so…" She bit her lip and was silent. "AJ?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to admit something…I'm a little worried about the match."

AJ cocked his head at her. He didn't say anything for a few seconds. "What are you worried about?"

She laughed slightly through her nose. "Kurt. Myself. I don't know, really. I'm worried about what Kurt might do to me, what he might do to you, what I even might do to him, since everyone seems to think I'm crazy now."

"I wouldn't let that get to me," AJ said reassuringly. "I mean, the people think you're crazy part."

"What about the rest of it?"

"There's a lot that could go wrong, definitely," he said. "To be honest, I wasn't too worried about the match either, up until you made it no disqualification."

"Hey, if I'm going to get revenge on someone, I want it to be _quality_ revenge," Ellie said. AJ smiled.

"You know," he said, resting his face on an elbow the propped up on the table, "Don and Mike may be on to something."

Ellie pointed at him. "Hey. Watch it. And actually, it's just Don. He's become a real douche lately."

"I've noticed that too," AJ said. "I just don't know what's going on with TNA lately. Hopefully everything will get resolved soon."

Ellie had her chin in her hands and said nothing.

"I guess I'm just anxious, is all," she said finally.

"Anxious about the fight, or anxious to leave TNA?"

She was silent again.

"You know," she said after a while, "if we're going to do the same entrance, I really should get over to the other side."

"Oh, good idea," AJ said. "I forgot about that. Okay, I'll see you in a little bit, then."

Ellie hopped off the table and took three steps towards the backstage hall, then stopped. She turned around and walked back to the table. "AJ, stand up."

He looked confused. "Why?"

"So I can hug you."

AJ sat there a smiled at her for a while. He laughed once, then slowly stood up. "Starting to warm up to the fight? Or is this to alleviate your anxiety?"

"Neither," she answered. "This is for being supportive, being a friend…for putting up with me. You didn't have to do this with me." She wrapped her arms around him and sighed.

"I'm happy to help deal the revenge, you know, especially if it's against the Mafia," AJ said, hugging her back. "We're going to win this, don't worry."

"How are you so confident?"

"What, afraid I'll jinx the fight?"

"Actually, I don't believe in jinxes. What happens happens, and that's the way it is." She released him. "I should get going."

"See you on the other side."

AJ sat back down as Ellie walked off towards the other tunnel entrance, stretching out her arms as she went. She let out a content sigh, feeling rather good about the upcoming fight. She felt even better, knowing that she had AJ watching her back.

Suddenly, Kurt didn't seem quite that scary anymore.

End Chapter 10

**Sequel note:** I found out two days ago that Jeff Hardy was arrested on Friday morning (9.11.09). As mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, Jeff will be in the prequel, but I didn't mention that Ellie got into the WWE in the first place because of Jeff. As you'd imagine, he means a lot to her. So now I'm tempted to write a sequel, which would be about Ellie's return to the WWE and Jeff's arrest (and I don't know what else).  
OR…  
I could do a two-part epilogue at the end of this story, instead of doing a sequel. Part one would be Ellie's return to the WWE and reuniting with Christian. Part two would be a few months in the future when she finds out about Jeff's arrest and then seeking solace in Matt.  
I dunno. if I do a sequel, it wouldn't be about much and would be really short.  
Gimme feedback.

**(1) **when I said "two people fell to the canvas, and one got right back up" I meant that Roxxi dropkicked, say, Madison, and Roxxi got back up. Velvet was the one screaming as Roxxi threw her out of the ring. and of course, the slam came from Roxxi delivering a much-needed Voodoo (or Cajun) Drop to Angelina. In case anyone was wondering.  
please please give me reveiws and feedback!


	11. To Your Aid

**2.5.10 EDIT **changed the type of the match from Mixed Tag Team to Intergender Tag Team. because as i recently found out, there _is_ a difference.  
Epic fight that you've all been waiting for, I'm sure. Ellie/AJ vs. Kurt/? in this chapter. Who will Kurt pick to be his tag team partner? The answer may or may not surprise you. Read on!  
**Warnings:** no disqualification fighting! Possible male on female violence. Mass beatdown, followed by a surprise/twist. Massive bloodletting. Language.  
**Sequel note****: **so I have been inspired enough to write a short sequel after this story (and most likely after the prequel) in lieu of writing a two-part epilogue at the end of this story. The prequel will be coming first, following the end of this story. Since the sequel is about Jeff Hardy, I'll likely be starting that as soon as I find out when/if he's coming back to the WWE.  
**Note:** Events that happened in Impact that are happening in this story have been very belated. Sorry, I _have_ noticed.  
**Note II:** this…should be interesting. I've never written a tag team match in full detail before…  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own/am associated with TNA, I own Ellie, etc…

**Chapter 11: to your aid**

"_Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is a TNA no-disqualification intergender tag team match-up, and is set for one fall. Introducing first, from Gainesville, Georgia, the Phenomenal AJ Styles, and his tag team partner from Temecula, California, the Ice Angel Ellie Blackwood!"_

AJ's music hit and the fireworks started pouring from the ceiling, creating a veil of sparks over each tunnel entrance. AJ dove through the sparks from the tunnel on the left, his hooded vest pulled over his eyes. Simultaneously, Ellie dashed through the sparks raining down over the right tunnel, her hair covering her face. They met at the top of the ramp and glanced at each other briefly. AJ threw off his hood as Ellie tossed aside her hair, and they both raised their arms up into the air. As AJ started down the ramp, Ellie did a little twirl, showing off her tattoos, which she had chosen not to flaunt prior to her last fight.

She caught up with AJ, and they put their arms around each other, giving one another a "good luck" pat on the back. They both climbed into the ring and acknowledged the cheering crowd. They regrouped in the center of the ring and looked towards the ramp as the lights dimmed.

"_Introducing next, representing the Main Event Mafia, he is professional wrestling's only Olympic gold medalist, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kurt Angle!"_

Kurt ascended out of the darkness and raised his arms in sync with his pyros. Gearing up, he jogged down the ramp. AJ and Ellie climbed out of the ring as Kurt got in. He took off his jacket and tossed it aside, and everyone looked once more towards the wrestler's entrance in anxious anticipation. David Penzer raised the microphone up to his mouth once more.

"_And his tag team partner, from Memphis, Tennessee…Sojournor Bolt!"_

Kurt nodded and applauded her briefly as she emerged and danced towards the ring. Ellie raised her eyebrows in half-surprise, and AJ glanced at her.

"Worried?" he asked.

"What? Oh hell no," Ellie replied. "Don't worry about me, man, I got this." They both migrated back towards the ring. "Seriously, though? I was expecting someone a little scarier. She doesn't worry me."

"Good to hear."

"I'm kind of surprised, actually. You?"

"Yeah, same here. I was expecting like, Rhaka or Kong or someone."

"I would have preferred that," Ellie muttered. "I've never really fought Sojo before."

When they both climbed up onto the ring apron, it seemed that, across the ring, Sojo and Kurt were arguing about who was to fight first. Ellie knew that this wasn't going to go anywhere with them calling the shots, so she and AJ exchanged pats on the back and mutual "good luck"s before she entered the ring. Kurt threw his arms up and stepped out onto the ring apron, giving pointers to Sojo, who waved him off. Ellie beckoned to her, grinning.

At this point, Ellie was starting to wonder if Kurt and Sojo were on the same page. Kurt had been trying to give Sojo pointers, tips, shouting things to her when she didn't respond. By the looks of it, it seemed like Sojo wasn't interested in receiving his "tips." As far as Ellie could see it, she and AJ had the advantage.

_I like that…_

She and Sojo circled each other, then locked up in the middle of the ring before Ellie managed to get a clench on her opponent. AJ started trying to work up the crowd, and Kurt looked on attentively. Ellie delivered multiple knee shots to Sojo's doubled-over form, then kicked her into a corner. She tried to follow through with a splash, but ended up getting elbowed in the neck. She staggered away, clutching at her throat. Sojo came up in front of her and snapmared her into a sitting position in the middle of the ring. A kick to the back, and then she applied a chinlock.

A huge chant of "_Let's go Ellie!"_ started up from the fans as Ellie struggled to power out of the hold. She was clawing at the arm wrapped firmly around her neck. Sojo would not relent. Ellie managed to scramble to her knees, but Sojo seemed like she was trying to keep her from getting to her feet. The pressure increased around her neck as she got one foot flat on the mat. She coughed once, and the referee briefly checked to see if Sojo was choking her. Sojo let the hold loosen a bit, and Ellie started elbowing her furiously in her side. She was starting to stand, so Sojo grabbed her by the hair and snapped her onto her back.

Grabbing at the back of her head, Ellie started to roll towards her corner. AJ had his hand extended out to her. Ellie reached out to him, but Sojo cut her off and pulled her to her feet. Ellie was whipped into the corner across from AJ, putting excruciating distance between her and her partner. Sojo made the tag to Kurt.

Kurt got in the ring and Ellie was still hanging on to the ropes in the corner. She eyed him warily and started to shuffle towards AJ. She didn't get far before Kurt kicked her once in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. He grabbed her by the head and launched her across the ring. The referee jumped in between them as AJ shouted vehemently at Kurt. Ellie was lying limply on the canvas, but could just make out the referee's words.

"Come on, Kurt, don't touch her!"

AJ looked utterly enraged. Under normal circumstances, Kurt would not have been allowed to hit Ellie. She was, however, not one bit regretting making this a no disqualification match.

AJ didn't wait for Ellie to tag him in. Furiously, AJ leaped over the top rope and started pummeling Kurt. Ellie rolled to the ring apron and stood with some difficulty. She recovered gradually as AJ and Kurt were fighting. Kurt quickly got the upperhand, as he whipped AJ into a corner and delivered to him a European uppercut. AJ seemed dazed, and couldn't resist when Kurt grabbed him by the arm and slingshotted him into the ropes. When AJ bounced off and came back, Kurt wrapped his arms around AJ's torso, and threw him backwards with an overhead release suplex.

Ellie jumped when Kurt started advancing on her. At the moment, she wasn't thinking about fear, about what he might do to her. She was thinking about the payback AJ promised and didn't quite deliver, and that she now had to take it upon herself. She got herself in the ring, and the referee threw a fit. He jumped between Ellie and Kurt, telling Kurt to stay away from her, and telling Ellie to get back to the apron. At that moment, Kurt turned around and headed back towards the center of the ring. Ellie remained where she was, and the referee started arguing with her. He was constantly warning her that she's not legal, she can't be in the ring, go back to the ring apron. While protesting that she didn't have to be legal because the match was no disqualification, she glanced over his shoulder.

Sojo had entered the ring and she and Kurt were double-teaming AJ. The referee was distracted; he couldn't see what was going on. Ellie screamed at him to turn around and fix this atrocity, but he kept telling her to get out of the ring. So, frustrated, she did.

By the time the referee turned around, Sojo had slipped silently to the outside, then got a tag from Kurt. AJ was still writhing on the floor, so Sojo stomped on his ribs a couple of times. Sojo managed to get AJ to his feet, and slingshotted him across the ring, towards Ellie's corner. When AJ bounced off the ropes, Ellie slapped him on the back. Sojo dropkicked AJ, having not seen the blind tag. She covered him, and AJ kicked out after two. She got AJ up on his feet and put him in a front facelock, moving towards Kurt with an outstretched hand.

Ellie blindsighted Sojo, taking her down with a spear. She got up and knocked Kurt off the apron before mounting Sojo and beating her with her fists. Sojo was screaming bloody murder, and the referee urged her to stop. Ellie snapped her head towards him, annoyed, and then stood up. She made sure AJ was okay, and spotted him standing on the ring apron, still a bit dazed. When Ellie got Sojo up on her feet, Sojo kicked her once in her stomach, then attempted a springboard crossbody. Ellie managed to catch her, staggering backwards a few steps. Sojo flailed helplessly, and Ellie threw her backwards with a fallaway slam. She went for the pin and got two counts.

Both women stood up, and Ellie slingshotted Sojo into her corner. She tried to deliver a running elbow, but Sojo dove out of the way, and Ellie ended up hitting AJ instead. Ellie gaped with a shocked expression on her face as he fell to the floor, and was cut off when Sojo attempted to roll Ellie up with a Schoolgirl. After a close two-count, Ellie kicked out.

By the time Ellie got back up to her feet, AJ was back on the ring apron. She shot him an apologetic look, and he waved it off. Sojo and Ellie exchanged blows in the middle of the ring before Ellie managed to block an offense from her opponent long enough to knee her in the stomach. She took a hold of Sojo's arm and tried to slingshot her into a corner, and Sojo countered with an Irish Whip, sending Ellie into the turnbuckles with force. She hit them hard and fell to her knees. Across the ring, AJ was stretching his hand out to her, eagerly jumping slightly. Kurt also wanted to get the tag-in, but Sojo was telling him that she wasn't done with her yet.

As soon as Ellie was on her feet again, she moved towards the midpoint between two of the corner posts. Sojo slingshotted herself off the ropes opposite and came charging at her. Ellie took a second to catch her breath before dropping down, pulling the top rope down with her. Sojo missed the clothesline, tripped over Ellie, and tumbled over the ropes to the outside.

Ellie didn't see Sojo land on her feet when she fell to the floor, and she slowly climbed out of the ring. Once she hopped down off the ring apron, she was met with a strong forearm shot. Ellie recoiled and hit the ring apron. Sojo tried to deliver another shot, but Ellie blocked it and kicked her away. The taller woman staggered away as Ellie climbed back onto the ring apron.

"_The referee's telling them to get back in the ring, but it looks like Ellie Blackwood's going to go high risk here instead."_

"_And there she goes! Springboard moonsault from Ellie Blackwood onto Sojournor Bolt! Both of them are down!"_

They were farther away from the ring than Ellie would have liked. She could feel the cold concrete beneath her hands, and she never liked to feel that. It meant that they were away from safety, from comfort. There was a lot that could go wrong out here. Her hands felt around for the rubber mats, for solace. She had to get up to see. Sojo was getting up too. Ellie grabbed her head and pulled her to her feet, but Sojo slapped her hands away. She tried to slingshot Ellie into the ring apron, but Ellie resisted. Sojo must have been rather worn down from the moonsault attack, so Ellie used this to her advantage and countered, throwing Sojo into the broadcast table.

Don and Mike scooted back a few inches as the table skidded with them. Sojo cried out and fell to her knees. Ellie was several feet away, bent over with her hands on her knees. She had to get them both back in the ring; she could really use a tag right now. She took a few seconds and then made her way over to Sojo.

Sojo was ready. Once her head was back in Ellie's hands, she started delivering shots to her midsection. Ellie bit through the first ones, but eventually had to release Sojo when she kicked her once in the stomach. Ellie doubled over, finding her head between Sojo's legs a few seconds later. Ellie had previously thought that the moonsault had taken away Sojo's strength, her energy. It seemed that she had recovered quicker than anticipated. Sojo wrapped her arms around Ellie's middle and managed to flip her backwards through to air to sit on her shoulders. She turned around quickly.

"_OH MY GOD! Sojournor Bolt just powerbombed Ellie Blackwood right onto our broadcast table!"_

"_Boy, __that__ was vicious!"_

Ellie stopped screaming a few seconds later. She was lying across the broadcast table, back arched, fists clenched, gritting her teeth as an intense pain shot all through her backside. What had she landed on? There must have been an assortment of things on that table—clipboards, microphones, wires, headsets, water bottles…She had hit _something_, and it was still under her.

And then Sojo was standing over her, _strangling_ her. She was becoming panicked—she couldn't breathe. Ellie grabbed at her wrists and ineffectively tried pulling her off, shifting uncomfortably and painfully on the miscellaneous objects digging into her back.

Ellie fell off the broadcast table and collapsed to her knees when AJ appeared suddenly and pulled Sojo off of her. She coughed hoarsely and pulled herself back up using the table for support. She looked around, and could see Sojo shouting shrilly at AJ. Behind them, Kurt was walking towards them. She had to get up and do something soon. Upon grabbing at the broadcast table, her hands found the time bell.

She looked over towards the ring. Several feet away from her, Sojo and Kurt were once more double teaming AJ. Ellie straightened up and lunged at them, time bell in hand. She kicked Kurt away from AJ before grabbing Sojo, spinning her around, and cracking the bell into her head. The referee recoiled and remained beside the ring. Ellie collapsed in exhaustion and pain, dropping the bell. Sojo was lying motionless beside her. When she opened her eyes again, AJ was on his feet, beating Kurt away from them. The referee eventually came over to separate them. A stagehand came to retrieve the bell.

"_AJ Styles and Kurt Angle are in a difficult position right now. Both of them need to get the tag-in, but the Knockouts, Ellie and Sojo, are still the legal fighters. But neither of them are in the ring, and they're both barely moving!"_

Kurt was sensing this as well, and he told Sojo to get herself in the ring and tag him in _NOW_, but she was unresponsive. So he dragged her over to the ring and tossed her in himself.

Meanwhile, AJ kneeled over Ellie. "Elle, you okay? Can you stand?"

"I don't know," she muttered.

"Look, just get yourself back in the ring and tag me in," he said. "I'll take it from there." He wriggled his hands underneath her back and knees, lifting her up. She smiled slightly at the irony—the first time she found herself in AJ's arms, he was carrying her away from Kurt. Now he was essentially carrying her _to_ him. She sighed as AJ laid her on the apron, giving her a supportive push to get her under the ropes.

"Hand," he said. She held hers up, almost with difficulty. He slapped her hand with his and jumped into the ring just as Kurt got the tag from Sojo. Ellie rolled back to the apron and took a few seconds. Kurt and AJ were brawling again, AJ with the upperhand. Not long after, interference from Sojo gave the advantage back to Kurt.

Ellie grabbed the top rope and pulled herself to her knees, clutching at her face with her other hand. AJ was in trouble, but she wasn't a hundred percent right now. She wouldn't last long if AJ had to tag out.

She was on her feet now, but leaning heavily against the turnbuckles in the corner. She was almost dizzy, but she could see what was going on inside the ring. Kurt has just slingshotted AJ off the ropes and then took him down with a shoulder block. AJ hit the mat hard, and then rolled onto his knees, clutching at the back of his head. Kurt was standing some feet away, waiting anxiously for him to get up. When AJ was starting to stand, Kurt made for the ropes. Ellie pushed herself away from the turnbuckles and swung her leg over the top rope as Kurt bounced off, kicking him in the back of the head. He promptly fell.

"_Woah! Some flexibility from Ellie Blackwood there. I didn't know she could kick that high."_

"_Cheap shot from the outside by Ellie Blackwood to Kurt Angle. I mean, she really __nailed__ that kick. He's just not moving right now."_

The referee was lecturing her now and telling her to get back in her corner. Ellie held up her hands innocently as she backed away. She had received a warning from the referee, but it was worth it—AJ was back in control.

When both men went for a clothesline, Ellie knew that it was her turn to fight. Both fighters were writhing on the canvas, and started to roll towards their respective corners. Ellie stretched her hand out to AJ as he neared. He had to dive at Ellie in order to slap her hand, and he almost missed it. Ellie springboarded off the top rope and pulled off a spinning elbow dive on Sojo, who had also been tagged in. Ellie covered her, the referee slapped the mat twice, and Sojo kicked out. Ellie stood both of them up, positioned herself behind Sojo, flipping her upside-down and forced her onto the mat shoulder-first with a powerful driver. The referee hit the mat twice.

Before he hit the mat a third time, Kurt was suddenly back in the ring, pulling Ellie to her feet. Ellie immediately reacted, kicked him in the stomach and tried to go for an Impaler DDT, but he pushed her away. He threw her across the ring before AJ jumped in and sent Kurt to the outside with a running clothesline. Sojo got up and slammed Ellie into the corner turnbuckles before going after AJ.

"_This match has unleashed into all out chaos! Neither Kurt Angle nor AJ Styles are legal, but we just saw AJ throw Kurt out of the ring!"_

Ellie was across the ring, clutching her head and trying to get to her feet. She looked up in time to see Sojo send AJ to the outside with a clothesline from behind. AJ tried to grab the ropes and hold on, but his fingers slipped and he fell to the ground. By the time Ellie got to her feet, Sojo has jumped up onto the second turnbuckle and was yelling at AJ on the outside. She was encouraging Kurt to get AJ, fervently shouting at both of them. Ellie dashed over to Sojo, ducking under her legs. Sojo was cut off abruptly when Ellie pulled her onto her shoulders. Ellie put one foot on the second turnbuckle and pushed off, bringing Sojo back down to the mat.

"_Ooh, a powerful Wing Crusher there by Ellie Blackwood."_

"_Bridging into the pin. 1…2…3! It's over!"_

"_Ladies and gentlemen, here are your winners: the team of the Phenomenal AJ Styles, and the Ice Angel Ellie Blackwood!"_

Ellie rolled off of Sojo, and got to her knees. The referee held up her arm as she grabbed at the back of her head. She looked around for AJ, and she spotted him still on the outside, brawling with Kurt. She stood and backed up a few steps, then ran for the ropes, ducked and delivered a running baseball slide kick to the side of Kurt's head. Ellie slid out of the ring as AJ sent Kurt into the guard rails. Ellie grabbed AJ's arm and pulled on it to get his attention.

"AJ, AJ stop! It's over, we won!" she said. It seemed to have taken AJ a few seconds for him to absorb what she had said. A few more seconds after that, and a smile broke across his face. She felt herself smiling as well and they hugged each other ecstatically. The referee emerged from the ring and held both of their arms up to the cheering crowd.

It was a short-lived victory.

"_Ellie Blackwood and AJ Styles celebrating their victory at ringside…"_

"_Oh no, look out! Here comes the Main Event Mafia!"_

Booker T ambushed AJ from behind, grabbed him, and sent him into the steel steps leading up to the ring. Startled, Ellie tried to go after him, but was intercepted by Scott Steiner. He backhanded her once with such force, she hit one of the steel corner posts and almost blacked out. She had hit her face on the post and collapsed to the floor, groaning in pain.

Someone started angrily ringing the bell to break up the brawl, but no one seemed to notice. While Booker and Scott were dealing with AJ, Kurt picked Ellie up and threw her back into the ring before going in after her. She rolled towards the center of the ring, clutching at her face. When she got to all fours and examined the hand covering her face, she saw that it was covered in blood. She looked back behind her to see Kurt advancing on her. On the outside, Scott Steiner and Booker T were attacking AJ.

"_You can see that when she hit the corner ring post, she cut open her forehead. There's so much blood coming out of that wound, it looks like she's wearing a crimson mask."_

She knew she was bleeding, and that seemed to have given her a heightened sense of urgency. She got to her feet, trying to wipe away some of the blood on her face. She tried to run past Kurt to help AJ, but Kurt managed to cut her off, grabbing her by the neck and chokeslamming her back down. He casually shook her blood from his hand as she rolled over onto her stomach. She coughed hoarsely, and the blood was flowing freely out of her wound now. She tried to crawl away from Kurt, but couldn't see. So she wiped the blood out of her eyes as she looked up…

And locked eyes with Sting.

He was wearing his suit and sunglasses, differentiating himself from the rest of the Mafia. Kurt, Booker, and Scott were all in ring attire, with the latter two wearing shirts bearing the Mafia's logo. Kevin Nash was noticeably absent from the beatdown. Sting was standing just outside of the ring with his hands folded over each other in front of him. Was he just going to stand there?

Kurt grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her to her feet. She screamed AJ's name.

"_The referee's already called for security, but I don't see them anywhere!"_

"_AJ and Ellie are just getting __destroyed__! Somebody stop them!"_

"_Here comes Eric Young and Consequences Creed down the ramp to help out!"_

Ellie raked Kurt across the eyes. He released his hold on her and grabbed at his face. She made a mad dash for the ropes and slingshotted back for a clothesline, but Kurt countered with a shoulder block, sending her back down to the mat.

Eric and Creed were dealing blows to Booker and Steiner while AJ recovered. Booker managed to block an offense and sent Eric off of him and over the guard rails, into the crowd. The fans were going wild. AJ had to use the distraction caused by Eric and Creed to his advantage. He tried to jump into the ring, but Booker grabbed him by the foot and pulled him back out.

Ellie was on her feet and stumbled into the corner, dodging a grab from Kurt. He followed her into the corner and took her by the arm, pulling her away from the turnbuckles. She contemplated ways to get out of this situation, but her options were limited.

_Well, I could throw blood in his eyes,_ she thought, _since there's probably as much of it on my hand as there is on my face._

She tried to rake his eyes again, but he turned away and got her up on his shoulders. She struggled and kicked, effectively raking his eyes this time with a free hand, forcing him to drop her. He turned around and slammed her head into the turnbuckles, sending more blood streaming onto the canvas. She staggered away from the turnbuckles, feeling around for the ropes. Kurt grabbed her arm again to get back up in the set up of an Angle Slam.

She slipped out of Kurt's grip when someone from outside the ring seized her by an ankle and pulled. She fell facefirst onto the canvas and was dragged out of the ring. As soon as she landed on the ground, a strong pair of arms wrapped securely around her middle and yanked her away from the ring.

_AJ…?_ she wondered.

She looked towards the ring, bewildered. There was a long red streak on the canvas from where she had hit and slid off, and Kurt was standing over it with a bloody handprint on his face. Kurt's expression was contorted with confusion, anger, and the same bewildered expression that Ellie was wearing. He was shouting at the person holding her, yelling things like "What are you doing?" at him.

Ellie was now more confused than ever.

On the other side of the ring, Eric and Creed were still brawling Booker and Steiner. Both Mafia members seemed to have the upperhand, but the tables soon turned. She expected to see the four of them fighting. And then she saw someone she didn't expect to see.

AJ Styles was also across the ring, fighting Booker and Steiner along side Eric and Creed. She was shocked.

She looked up.

Sting still had his arms around her, slowly pulling her away from the ring. He and Kurt were yelling at each other still, and Ellie was too stunned to do anything. Sting was telling Kurt to back off and keep his hands off of her. She was completely bewildered.

"_Judging by her reaction, I'd say Ellie Blackwood just realized that Sting was the one who saved her from the Angle Slam."_

"_Boy I tell you, __I_ _sure didn't see that one coming."_

And suddenly, AJ was next to them, shoving Sting off of her while yelling profanities at him. Sting said nothing as AJ pulled her away from him. AJ seemed shocked when he saw that Ellie was bleeding, and grabbed her by the shoulders, urgently asking her if she was okay, what happened. A paramedic soon joined them on the ramp and handed a towel to Ellie as the three of them headed up the ramp. Eric and Creed joined them shortly to cover them, but did not follow. AJ put one arm around her shoulders and guided her towards the exit.

"Can you walk?" he asked.

"I'm standing aren't I?" she snapped, finding that she had to force the words out. She was too stunned to do anything else. She didn't notice much of what happened after that.

And then they were backstage, pushing her into the trainer's room. AJ sat her down in a chair by a table as other paramedics and trainers arrived. One of them brought over a damp cloth and a small mirror.

The entire right half of her face was red.

The paramedic who had brought her in took the damp cloth and helped her to clean her face. Someone else pinned her hair back and applied pressure to the wound with gauze in an effort to stop the bleeding. AJ knelt down in front of her.

"How are you?" he said.

"Um, it hurts," she answered bitterly.

"Ellie, how did this happen? Did Sting do this? I'm sorry I wasn't there, I was too distracted with Booker and Scott, and I didn't see you…" he said.

"AJ, calm down," she said quickly. "It wasn't Sting. Scott hit me and I ran into one of the corner posts…with my face."

"Well then what was Sting doing with you?"

"Kurt tried to Angle Slam me again, and then, AJ…" she said, pausing. "He tried to put me in the Angle Slam and…_Sting saved me._"

AJ gaped slightly.

"Sting?" he managed.

"Grabbed my foot and dragged me out of the ring," she said. "AJ, that's the second time that Sting has saved me from a beatdown. I…I don't know what to make of this."

"What's his purpose?" AJ mused, mostly aside to himself.

"The last time Sting saved me, it was from the Kongtourage, and Christian told me that he was just trying to recruit me, but I don't think that's the case at all."

AJ shook his head. "Sorry, I'm kind of a loss for words still."

Ellie checked herself in the hand mirror. Most of the blood was gone, and the paramedics working on her had gone through about three pieces of gauze. But it seemed that the bleeding had stopped. One of them sat down next to her and turned her face to him to examine her forehead.

"Try to stay still," he said, thumbing the wound.

There was a silence as he started to bandage her.

"AJ?"

"Hmm?"

She paused. "What do you think? About Sting, and what just happened, I mean."

There were noises outside the room, and they seemed to be coming closer.

AJ shook his head. "I don't know."

Not long after, Eric Young and Consequences Creed rushed in. Both of them looked anxious and about ready to burst. AJ moved away to meet them by the door.

"My god, man, there's blood everywhere in that ring!" Creed said. "It's a total mess out there!"

"How is she?" Eric asked. AJ glanced back at her.

"Don't really know yet," he replied, "but she's fine for the most part. A little rattled, though."

"Man, what the hell happened out there?" Creed said, spotting the bloody rags and gauze on the table.

"Steiner hit her and she cut herself open on one of the posts in the corner," AJ said. "She says Sting saved her from worse after that."

"What?" said Creed, contorting his face, not pausing to absorb AJ's words. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would Sting want to save Ellie?"

Eric was silent.

"No one knows yet," AJ answered.

Eric seemed contemplative. He leaned around AJ to get a look at Ellie. "Hey Elle, you doing' all right?"

"As all right as I can be," she answered. AJ turned back to his teammates.

"I just don't know what to think about this," he said. "She says this was the second time that Sting's saved her. I just can't figure out why."

There was another silence as the paramedic finished bandaging her and stood up.

"Well, you'll be all right for now," he said. "The good news is, the wound isn't all that deep, really. You don't need stitches, but stitches _would_ help it heal faster. And then the bad news is, I'm worried about how much blood you lost out there, so I want you to stay out of that ring for _at least_ a week to let that cut heal. And take it easy, okay? Seriously."

Ellie stood up. "Great. Thanks." She contemplated getting the stitches, and weighed the pros and cons of doing so. Irritated, she started for the door, and AJ blocked her.

"How do you feel?"

"About the same as you do, I'm sure," she answered. "What with all the confusion, the mystery, the drama, the ambiguous motive. I'm sure we'll figure it out eventually. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to uh…wash my hands." She held them up. She had since removed her fingerless gloves, and her fingers were caked in dried blood while her palms remained undirtied. Her gloves, once black, were now a very dark red. "Good fight, though, AJ. Sorry about punching you in the face." She smiled and walked past him, patting him on the shoulder as she went.

**.xXx.**

"How's your head?" Roxxi asked.

"Eh, it's been better, that's for sure," Ellie replied. "I opted not to get the stitches. Went to go see the doctor though, and he said that I wouldn't even have to get that many. Maybe like, two to four. But I said no, so instead, he just gave me some stuff to put on it a couple times a day."

"As long as you're okay for our tag match," said Roxxi. "It's going to be fucking epic."

"Without a doubt. Hey…" Ellie mused. "I just had an interesting thought."

"Oh?"

"What the hell are we going to do about Madison?" she asked. "We can't very well expect her to stay in the back if we put her there. You know Angelina and Velvet would make use of her _somehow_."

"Given their track record, I wouldn't be surprised," said Roxxi. "You want to make it a six-person tag match?"

"Who would our third person be?"

"I was thinking Taylor," Roxxi said. "You know, the tag match actually may be a while yet, though."

"Don't tell me we have to wait even longer," Ellie groaned.

"Well I actually don't know at this point," she said. "Taylor and I have been planning a bit of payback at Angelina and Velvet. They seemed to have taken an interest in the news about Sarah Palin's little shopping spree, and have actually taken time out of Impact to ask her to come here."

Ellie looked at Roxxi incredulously. "You're kidding. I had no idea that they were _that_ stupid. What the hell makes them think that Sarah Palin even _watches_ Impact?"

"It's good if they do," Roxxi said, grinning. "We're going to lead them down this road with a Palin impersonator we hired, and make them think that Palin is coming here to make them a part of her cabinet."

Ellie was biting her tongue now to keep from laughing. "Even though Obama already got sworn in? Oh man, you really think that they'll fall for it?"

"I have no doubt in my mind that they won't."

"Who's the Palin you hired?"

"You know Daffney?"

Ellie gaped. "No!" she said. "You got Daffney? From SHIMMER? Holy crap, I _love_ her!"

"Well, she's coming here."

Ellie shook her head, smiling. "Well, I gotta hand it to you. That sounds pretty damn awesome. Is this payback for…your hair?"

"Yep," Roxxi said. "My hair, and the fact that they've beaten down Taylor god knows how many times."

"Well by all means, go ahead with this plan," Ellie said. "Funny though, I actually came to TNA to get payback for/with you, and now you've started without me."

"Heh, sorry. I'm still down for the tag match, though," Roxxi said. Then she peered over Ellie's shoulder. "Hey, you've got a message."

They had been talking in Ellie's dressing room, sitting on either ends of her couch. It was a week after her tag match with AJ, and her wound was steadily healing. There was a desk behind Ellie, and sitting on the desk was her laptop. She turned around to look at it, and saw that she had a new IM.

"It's Christian," Ellie said, pulling the computer onto her lap.

"Wow, I could make so much fun of you right now, but I won't," Roxxi said. "Tell him I say hi."

**hey.**

_**hey yourself. oh and roxxi says hi.**_

**oh? hi roxxi.**

Ellie looked up. "He says hi." Roxxi smiled.

**anyway, you and AJ fight yet?**

_**yep.**_

**gimme the good news and the bad news, 'cause i know there's both.**

_**you're becoming psychic. anyway, good news is that AJ and i won. bad news is that the MEM came down to the ring to celebrate with us.**_

**again?**

_**yeah, unfortunately. scott steiner delivered the first blow to me, and i hit a corner post with my face.**_

**ouch. you okay?**

_**for the most part.**_

**oh hell, ellie, you gotta come back soon.**

_**i will. i guarantee i'll come back, but i can't guarantee the "soon" part.**_

She paused, tapping her fingers on the keys.

"Did you tell him you punched AJ in the face?" Roxxi asked.

"No," Ellie said, smiling. "It was an accident, and he's okay, besides. Don't know what to say now, though…"

"Did you tell him about Sting?" Roxxi inquired.

The smile on her face faded. "Not yet."

There was a knock on her door. Ellie and Roxxi both looked up.

"Come in," Ellie called. The door opened.

"Oh, hi Roxxi," Traci said, stepping inside. Roxxi acknowledged her. "Ellie, Jim wants to see you in his office."

"Great. Okay," Ellie said. "Tell him I'll be there in a minute." Traci left.

**still there?**

_**for the next five seconds, anyway. Jim wants to see me.**_

**uh oh. what did you do?**

_**nothing that i know of. anyway, i'll catch you later.**_

She closed her laptop. Both she and Roxxi stood up.

"I really should go find Taylor," she said. "We need to get a hold of Daffney."

"Awesome," Ellie replied. "Guess I'll see you around then. Nice talking to you again."

"You too." They hugged briefly and then parted ways.

**.xXx.**

"_No."_

"What do you want me to do, Ellie?" Jim asked, flustered.

"Jim, this is ridiculous," Ellie said. "I've been here for _how long_ and I still haven't had my tag match with Roxxi yet? I did not count on being here this long! I honestly thought that we were going to have our match at Destination X or something."

"The trainers still need to clear you for _this_," he said, tapping himself on the forehead in the same spot in which Ellie got cut open.

"But Jim, you've gotta stop postponing my match!" Ellie protested.

"Would you like to fight someone else at Destination X?" Jim inquired. "There are a number of people who would like to fight you. Madison Rayne and Sojournor Bolt have both requested a rematch against you."

"I don't give a shit! Just get me my match with Roxxi!" Ellie said.

"There's nothing much we can do for until the trainers clear you."

Ellie gave a frustrated sigh. "Will that be by Destination X?"

"We'll see," Jim answered. "In the event that you _are_ cleared by Destination X, I'd encourage you to participate. Roxxi might have her hands full on that night as well, so I don't think it'd be possible for you two to tag team on that night." Ellie thought for a few seconds.

"Madison _and_ Sojo, huh?" she mused. "I do need to keep busy…So, as long as it's not a triple threat match, or a 2-on-1 handicap match, you got yourself a deal."

"I don't know, I think you'd do well in a triple threat match," Jim said.

"Look," Ellie said, holding up a hand. "The only match I _really_ care about is my tag match with Roxxi."

"Well then, I'll let you know as soon as possible when Impact time for that match becomes available. And at the moment, that's the best I can do."

"What, does it have to be during Impact?"

"Well, both you and Roxxi are, as far as I know, booked for separate matches at Destination X. So if you want this over and done with as quickly as possible, I'd say Impact would be your best shot."

"You know, that's actually not a bad idea," Ellie said. "Maybe you can book the match the Thursday after Destination X?"

"That or the week after," Jim said, scrolling through his computer's calendar. "I'll see what I can do. Now, if that will be all, I have more Superstars to talk to."

"That should do it," Ellie said, standing up. "I'll pass the news along to Roxxi."

"Good luck on your match on Sunday."

Ellie walked out of Jim's office with a new spring in her step. She grinned a bit deviously as she headed towards her dressing room. She inhaled deeply as she stretched out her arms and cracked her knuckles.

_Oh yeah. It's all coming together._

End Chapter 11

You know, I said during the fight that Sojo was taller than Ellie, but Wikipedia says that Sojo's only taller than Ellie by like, an inch. Whatever.  
the time bell is that bell that they ring to indicate the start and end of a match. It's usually mounted to a piece of wood. Makes it portable, makes it a good weapon.  
Kevin Nash was not a part of the post-match brawl because at the time, he was out with a staph infection in his elbow.  
reviews, please!


	12. Reminisce

Sorry for the delay. I've been working on college applications while juggling school and a new job. I promise I'll always have time for stories, though.  
**Warnings:** fighting and post-match beatdown, awkwardness between Ellie and Christian everyone making fun of Ellie because of it. Aww…  
**Disclaimers:** don't own TNA, I own Ellie, etc…  
**Note: **most of this chapter is very AU. Read, and if you follow Impact, then you'll know what I mean.  
**Note II: **I was originally going to put in a scene at the end where Ellie talks about her WWE days and all the crap that happened while she was there. But then I realized that the whole scene would be just one big spoiler for everyone who read that and then read the prequel that's coming after this. And I just can't do that, so now Ellie just talks about her WWE days in real general and vague terms. Want to know more about Ellie's WWE past? Read the prequel!

**Chapter 12: reminisce**

Lots of things happened by the time Destination X rolled around and passed by. Ellie would say that too many things happened. Whether those things she considered to be good or bad, well, that depended on the event and the outcome.

For instance, take the bad. Ellie decided to participate in the triple threat match Jim Cornette pitched to her. It wasn't the first time she had participated in a Pay-Per-View, and also not the first time she had participated in a triple threat match. This had not been her favorite or most memorable one. Turns out that Madison Rayne was needed in another match, and was not able to compete in the triple threat match. Instead of making it a singles match, Jim decided to put Jacqueline into the mix. Both Sojo and Jacqueline decided it would be a great idea to team up against Ellie together. Even though the rules stated that she was fighting in a triple threat match, it seemed more to her like a 2-on-1 handicap match, and Ellie could have sworn she requested not to be in a handicap match. The fight eventually ended when Sojo sent Jacqueline out of the ring long enough to get the pin on Ellie.

A few titles changed hands during Destination X, but the World Heavyweight Championship was not among them. Sting retained his gold again, and after the match, Mick Foley, the special guest enforcer, entered the ring to present the title belt to him. Shortly after handing the belt to him, Mick picked up a steel chair and cracked it over Sting's head. Everyone was taken aback.

In other bad news, Eric Young lost to Brutus Magnus, a native of Britain who was trying to make a name for himself. Also, Frontline member Samoa Joe returned from his extensive absence, only to bring with him a startling new persona. He claimed now that he belonged to a Nation of Violence, and he was hell-bent on getting revenge against the Mafia. He started with Scott Steiner, and was disqualified when he attacked the referee.

But then were the good news, which came in small quantities. Roxxi, Taylor Wilde, and the newly acquired Daffney (who at the time was wrestling under the name "The Governor") took on all three members of the Beautiful People, and emerged victorious. Prior to the Pay-Per-View, Roxxi and Taylor pulled off their scheme, successfully embarrassing Angelina Love and Velvet Sky on national television. The six-woman tag team match was created as a result, but Angelina and Velvet still wanted payback.

AJ Styles had his title match against Booker T for the Legends Championship. Despite repeated interference from Booker's wife Sharmell, AJ was able to win the match and become the new Legends Champion.

The Thursday following Destination X, and Ellie found out through one of the Frontline members why no one had seen Petey Williams in a while. Turns out that Petey's contract with TNA had expired, and ultimately did not re-sign with the company. Ellie also hadn't seen the Beautiful People's Kip James lately either. When Lauren went to go interview Angelina, she claimed that they had sent Kip on a "secret mission" and would be gone for an undetermined amount of time.

"Well," Ellie said, "it's less for me to deal with."

She wondered if AJ knew about Petey's release and started wandering around trying to find him. Backstage, she came across a set used for interviews. The room had no fourth wall, and people walking by it would see the whole interior unhindered. The set consisted of a very homey feeling, with some bookcases, a rug, coffee table, two couches, and an assortment of potted plants. She found AJ sitting on one of the couches with his feet propped up on the table. He was talking to someone on his cell phone, with the Legends Championship belt sitting beside him.

When she saw that he was busy, she started to leave, deciding that she'd tell him another time. She had just turned around when AJ called her back.

"Oh, I don't want to bother you," Ellie said.

"Not a bother, trust me," AJ replied, moving his title belt so she could sit down. Ellie shrugged and walked over. In the meantime, AJ turned his attention back to the person on the other end of the phone. "Hmm? Oh no, not you. Who is it? It's just Ellie." He paused as she sat down next to him. "I don't know, you'd have to ask her…Okay." He handed the phone to Ellie. "Christian wants to talk to you."

Ellie smirked. "Does he, now?" She took the phone from him and instead of putting it to her ear, she put it on speaker. "Hello?"

"_Hey Elle."_

She smiled. "Well hi. To what pleasure do I owe this phone call?"

"_Don't flatter yourself. AJ called to tell me he won the Legends Championship."_

"Why yes he did."

"_Says he won it not only for the Frontline, but he won it for me, too."_

"AJ, that's sweet," Ellie said. "Seeing as how the Legends title was your last title match at TNA, Christian, I'd believe that he won it for you. Anyway, how have you been?"

"_Been all right. Yourself?"_

"I've been better."

"_Did you fight at Destination X?"_

"Yeah, I got stuck into a triple threat match."

"_Did you win?"_

"Of course not."

"_What do you mean of course __not__? Elle, I'm disappointed."_

"What do _you_ mean you're disappointed?" Ellie fired back. "I essentially got put into a 2-on-1 handicap match against two black girls who decided it would be a great idea to team up against the only white girl in the match, and there was no tagging-in or tagging-out, because it wasn't a tag match at all! How do you expect me to get out of _that_?"

"_Okay, okay, sorry, I get it."_

"Now then, what was it that you wanted to ask me?"

"_Oh, well you said Steiner hit you and you hit a post. What you __didn't__ tell me is that you got cut open and bled everywhere. I had to hear about that from AJ. So I was just asking if you were okay."_

"Well, I'm okay now. Sorry I didn't tell you sooner. There was so much I wanted to tell you that day, but then you know, Jim called me in."

"_So what did you want to tell me?"_

"Well, it's no big deal, and AJ can tell you the same thing…" she started.

"_What? What did you do now?"_

"Did you tell him about Sting?" she whispered, covering the phone's mouthpiece. AJ shook his head.

"Nothing too bad, I mean. I just punched AJ in the face, that's all," Ellie said, hesitating.

AJ grinned and grabbed Ellie's wrist, turning the phone towards himself. "She's got a hell of an arm on her, too."

"_And that's no big deal? You punched one of my best friends in the face and it's no big deal?"_

"It was an accident," Ellie and AJ said together. They paused.

"_There's more, isn't there?"_

"You can't just avoid telling him about Sting," AJ whispered. "Just do it."

"_I can hear you guys whispering. Am I on speakerphone?"_

"Why, yes. Yes you are."

"_All right, then…So, what happened?"_

"Right. Unrelated to me punching AJ, but it came after that," Ellie said, almost reluctantly. "Remember when I said that the Mafia came to celebrate with me and AJ post-match?"

"_Yeah…"_

"Well Kurt got his hands on me after Scott did, and he tried to Angle Slam me again," she said. She paused. "And then…Sting pulled me out of the ring before he could."

There was a silence.

"_Woah, wait. Sting saved you __again__?"_

"We can't figure it out either," AJ said. "At this point, we've ruled out the possibility that he's trying to recruit her into the Mafia. But now we're more confused than ever."

"_Didn't Sting and Ellie just have a huge match like, not too long ago?"_

"_Oh_ yeah," Ellie said.

"_Maybe it was like a 'hey sorry for beating you up' type move."_

"Well, I _did_ lose to him," she mused. "Still, that seems unlikely. Although…during our match, right before we started throwing punches, I said to Sting that he knew what Kurt was doing was wrong and he could stop him. All that stuff."

"Do you think you got through to him?" AJ said.

"It's possible," Ellie said. "I know Sting wasn't down with the idea of fighting me in the first place anyway."

There was a long silence between the three of them for a while. Ellie seemed edgy and looked like she wanted to say more, but ultimately decided against it.

"_Well you know Elle, if you really want to know Sting's motives behind saving you, I guess the only way to know for sure is to just ask him yourself."_

"Oh sure, if you just want to jump right at it," Ellie said. "No offense, I'm not too keen on the idea."

The silence arose again. This time, it hung in the air with a strong anxiety that none of them could wash away. None of them knew what to say next.

"AJ, there you are."

AJ and Ellie looked towards the hall to see a stagehand peering into the set. He was wearing a headset and holding a clipboard in one hand and a walkie-talkie in the other.

"AJ, you're due in the ring in like, a minute," he said.

"All right, be there in a sec," AJ replied. "Hey Christian, I gotta go. Management wants me to talk about my victory on Sunday."

"_Perfectly understandable. I'll catch you later. Bye AJ, Elle."_

AJ snapped the phone shut and stood up. He looked to Ellie, who was still sitting comfortably on the couch. "Can I do anything else for you?"

"Well, I actually came here to ask you something, but got sidetracked when you suddenly handed me your phone," Ellie said. "Just wanted to know if you knew about Petey."

AJ nodded morosely. "Yeah, I did. I was first to know, outside of management. Who'd you hear from?"

"Ray told me like, a day ago," she answered. "I'm guessing the rest of the Frontline knows too by now."

"No doubt," AJ replied.

"God, the Mafia must be ecstatic."

"Don't worry about them," AJ said. "The Frontline will deal with them in time. But right now, you know, I have to go. You want to come watch?"

"Yeah I guess," Ellie said. "I was planning on hanging out backstage and watching fights anyway. Care to join me?"

"As soon as I'm done with my speech, you got yourself a deal."

"Excellent," Ellie said, standing up. "So go do your speech already. The whole night's fight schedule is waitin' on you, boy. I'll catch up in a sec." She handed his Legends belt to him and shooed him out of the set. AJ and the stagehand walked off, with the stagehand telling him to hustle. Ellie lingered on the set, browsing through the titles on the bookshelves before realizing that most of the books weren't real. So slightly disappointed, she exited the set and headed towards the wrestler's backstage area.

She arrived at the table propped several feet away from the main tunnel entrance and sat down beside a security guard, who welcomed her. She returned the acknowledgement and looked around the table.

"Where's the fight schedule for tonight?" she asked.

"Uh…right here," Greg said, handing her a piece of paper. There was a list of fights scribbled onto the page, and in between the fights were marked the places for interviews, speeches, commentary, and commercial breaks. Everything up until AJ's speech had been marked over with a yellow highlighter. In the margins, someone had filled in the spots where brawls and other unscheduled events took place. An argument between Sting and Kurt Angle was one of them.

"What's up with Sting and Kurt _now?_" she said.

"Oh, you didn't see it?" Greg asked. "Well, you remember how Kurt was complaining about how he should have been champion after Against All Odds, right? Well, he still wants to be champ. Sting thinks he's being a jackass and called him out, they brawled, and now Kurt wants Sting in the ring."

"So what does that all add up to?"

"Get this," Greg said, leaning forward. "I'm not sure when (probably next week), but Sting and Kurt are going to face off in an Empty Arena match."

Ellie stared at him blankly. "A what?"

"An Empty Arena match? You don't kn—ooohh man, Elle, where have you _been_ all night?" Greg said. Ellie shrugged. "Basically what Kurt is saying, is that they're going to have a match. _But…_no one can be in the Impact Zone. All of the fans have to get out of the building, the wrestlers have to go home…no fans, no referees, no security, no one except them."

"That…sounds brutal crazy," Ellie said slowly. "Why the hell would Sting agree to do that?"

"He's pissed, I dunno."

"And management is actually allowing this?"

"Jeff Jarret just passed it."

"Holy crap. He's allowing this."

"I'm predicting record ratings for Impact," Greg said, voice brimming with enthusiasm.

"Pretty much," she mused. "Who do you think's gonna win?"

"Well since all of the referees are being kicked out when the fight rolls around, I'd say no one."

"Except the fans. Wait," Ellie said, looking back to the TV. "What the hell's going on now?"

While she and Greg had been talking, AJ had received company inside the ring. The former Legends champion Booker T and his wife Sharmell came down to the ring to get up in AJ's face and accuse him of stealing the title away from Booker. Jeff Jarret was also in the ring, and seemed to be acting as a peace keeper for the time being.

"The hell's he talking about?" Ellie said. "AJ beat him legit!"

As Greg wrote the new unscheduled interruption into the fight schedule, the heat in the ring seemed to be escalating. Ellie rose out of her seat.

"Elle, sit down," Greg said. "You don't have to be the hero every single time AJ's in trouble.

"What the hell, Greg, shut up," Ellie said.

"It's cooling down anyway," he said. "Looks like Booker and Sharmell are leaving."

Sharmell got in AJ's face, telling him that in time, Booker would take his title back. The two of them left, taking the backstage exit out. AJ and Jeff had a good laugh about it, then exited the ring, taking the wrestler's entrance out of the Impact Zone. On the TV, Don and Mike played back highlights of the speech and argument, and clips of AJ's victory at Destination X before taking the show to commercial.

AJ arrived backstage with Jeff. The two conversed briefly before Jeff departed. Ellie was grinning by the time AJ walked over to their table and pulled up a chair. He sighed as he sat down. He raised his eyebrows questioningly upon seeing Ellie grinning at him.

"I expected something like that was going to happen," he said.

"Okay, just checking," Ellie replied.

AJ threw his championship belt onto the table and propped his feet up. "So what's next?"

Ellie picked up the fight schedule. AJ's unwelcomed guests had been written into the margin. Below that was the next scheduled fight. "Well after commercial, Awesome Kong is defending her title against Sojo Bolt."

AJ pointed to Sojo's name. "That could have been you. It _should_ have been you."

"I'm…gonna go," Greg said, standing up. "You know, before Ellie brings out the pain."

"AJ, hush," Ellie said, snatching the fight schedule away from him as Greg walked off. "I don't have enough time to pursue the Knockout's title."

"Oh, you leaving soon?"

"Probably, I don't know." She glanced at him. He opened his mouth to say something, and Ellie cut him off. "_Shush._ Just enjoy the fight."

AJ withheld comment and folded his hands over his stomach. "Have it your way."

Ellie groaned. "Damnit AJ, don't do that. Now I feel bad about shushing you and avoiding the question I _know_ you want to ask me."

"Is that so?"

"You're as bad as I am," she said. She paused, biting her lip. "Hey, you want to go get food? I'll buy."

AJ grinned, though he looked taken aback. "You really _do_ feel guilty, don't you?"

"Well, it's not like I've never done something like this before."

"Good enough. Let's go."

**.xXx.**

"It's not entirely that I feel guilty about you know, interrupting you, not letting you ask the question I know you wanted to," Ellie said.

"So what is it?" AJ asked.

They were at a Taco Bell. The location was convenient, and Ellie would say that she picked this place because it was relatively close-by to the Impact Zone, it was night, and she didn't quite feel like driving too much. Neither of them cared much for going out in public when they weren't fighting, but the restaurant at this hour was relatively abandoned. The few people who walked in didn't notice them or simply dismissed them.

"I admit, I could have picked a better place to talk," Ellie said, taking a sip of her drink. "You think people will get ideas about us?"

"If people notice us enough to get ideas in the first place, I can take it," AJ replied. "So you feel guilty, I got that. What's the rest of it?"

"Leaving," she said. "I've made so many wonderful friends at TNA since I got here, and my only reason for coming here in the first place was to deal the pain to Angelina and Velvet. I've gotten so sidetracked and attached, and leaving now would seem like I'm abandoning everyone."

"Is that it?" AJ leaned back in his seat. "Elle, everyone has their own reasons for leaving, and feeling guilty or not is simply a matter of personal conscience. Take Christian, for example. When his contract expired, he could very well have re-signed with the company. Rather, he jumped ship to the WWE. Don't think that he didn't have friends here, that he wasn't attached to anyone, or that anyone wasn't attached to him. He was one of my best friends at TNA, and I miss him. He had his reasons for leaving, and so do you, and I'll miss you when you leave. Don't let me or anyone else hold you back from what you really want to or have to do."

Ellie smiled slightly. "Thanks, AJ. I guess I just need to be reminded from time to time."

"And I'll always be happy to keep you in touch with yourself," he said. "Let's get back to the Impact Zone. You still want to watch the fights?"

"Of course, always."

The two of them got up and headed out into the night. No one noticed them leave.

**.xXx.**

They got back in time to see the revenge match Angelina Love and Velvet Sky requested (rather, demanded) against Roxxi and Taylor Wilde. Ellie had high hopes about the match. When the Beautiful People arrived, they looked pissed beyond hell, and even skipped their own suggestive entrance. Angelina almost bashed one of the cameras that got too close to her.

When Roxxi and Taylor entered, they were still laughing. Madison stayed back while Angelina and Velvet met Roxxi and Taylor half-way up the ramp and started dealing blows. The latter team had the upper hand for most of the beginning of the fight, and they didn't even enter the ring until a few minutes in.

"Catfight, much?" AJ said.

"I saw it coming," Ellie replied.

The tables were turned when Velvet Sky viciously Irish Whipped Roxxi into the steel steps. Roxxi hit them hard and fell to the ground, where she remained motionless.

"Oh _hell!_" Ellie shouted. "That's…um, that's not good."

Angelina shoved Taylor into the ring and tried to pin her, but only got two counts.

"This is a uh…handicap match now, isn't it?" AJ asked, almost anxiously.

"Roxxi's still in the game," Ellie said with wavering confidence. "She's just not moving is all."

"You're worried."

"Am not, what gave you that idea?"

"Well ever since Roxxi went down, you've been digging your nails into my leg."

"Oh!" She had AJ by the leg, just above the knee. She hadn't even realized that she moved her hand to his leg, much less that she was gripping it exceptionally hard. She quickly pulled her hand away. "I'm so sorry, AJ. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"A little, but it's okay now."

"AJ, I—."

"Now, before you start trying to babble out an apology, I see something that might interest you."

She looked back to the TV screen. The camera was focused on the fight inside the ring, where Taylor was in the middle of a 2-on-1 beatdown. The view then shifted to Roxxi, who was trying to get up, but Madison was sneaking her way over to her while the referee's back was turned.

"Goddamnit! AJ, I'll be right back."

"I'll be here."

"_Hey, wait a second, what's Madison Rayne doing?"_ Mike Tenay asked observantly.

"_Looks like she's trying to keep Roxxi from getting back in the game. The referee doesn't seem to notice. He's too preoccupied with the double beat-down on Taylor Wilde right now,"_ said Don West.

"_What's that Madison's holding? Is that a can of hairspray?"_

"_Oh come on, now, is that re—WOAH! Ellie Blackwood just popped in out of no where and took Madison Rayne out with a wicked clothesline from behind!"_

"_Where the hell did she come from?"_

Ellie kicked Madison aside and knelt by Roxxi. "You okay?"

"Hurts…" she replied. "Help me up, though. Gotta help Taylor."

"All right, but take it easy."

"_Well there's Roxxi on the ring apron again. Guess that means she's good to go."_

"_I dunno, she doesn't look a hundred percent right now."_

Ellie watched the fight tentatively from the outside. Angelina and Velvet were relentless, and Taylor looked like she was in major trouble. Taylor eventually sent Angelina off of her long enough to make the tag to Roxxi.

"I don't like this…" Ellie muttered.

The commentators were right in that Roxxi wasn't a hundred percent. She didn't last long, and Angelina soon took her down with the Light's Out and pinned her for the win. Ellie leaned on the ring apron and glared at Angelina and Velvet. The Beautiful People didn't seem to enjoy their victory very much, and Velvet headed to the outside. At the same time Angelina also hit Taylor with the Light's Out, Velvet retrieved two paper shopping bags from the floor.

"Can't just let it be, huh?" Ellie sighed. She jumped up onto the ring apron as Velvet was getting back in. From the outside, Madison grabbed Ellie's foot and yanked her off the apron. Once Ellie was on the ground, Madison slammed her into the fan barrier, stomping on her a few times before regrouping with her teammates inside the ring.

Ellie had her arms around the guard rail and was trying to pull herself up. She managed to catch sight of Taylor and Roxxi donning the paper bags over their heads, and then slumping over. She tried getting to her feet when Angelina and Velvet started putting their boots to their fallen opponents.

Ellie concluded that she couldn't do much to help Roxxi and Taylor in her current condition, and made a mental note to herself to definitely add Taylor and Madison into her tag team match with Roxxi.

_So now what?_

A bare-footed woman dressed in a black suit came hurling down the ramp, diving into the ring while the Beautiful People's attentions were still on Roxxi and Taylor. The woman quickly sent Madison and Velvet out of the ring before taking down Angelina with an STO slam of some sort. She got up and looked around, spotting Roxxi and Taylor lying motionless on the mat. She pulled the paper bag off of Roxxi's head and walked back over to Angelina. She had only grabbed a hold of her arm before Madison and Velvet pulled her out of the ring.

Still aching, Ellie rolled into the ring and stood up. Upon closer inspection, she found that she actually recognized the woman in the suit.

"Governor," she said, holding her hand out to her.

She smiled and shook her hand. "Call me Daffney."

The two of them tended to Roxxi and Taylor while the Beautiful People backed up the ramp. Ellie jeered at them and mouthed the words "This isn't over, not by a long shot."

**.xXx.**

"How're you holding up?" Ellie asked.

"Been better," Roxxi replied. "I'm told to take it easy for another few days, though."

"They're just doctors, what the hell do they know?"

It was nighttime and they were in their hotel room. Ellie was sitting on her bed and Roxxi was on the other. They were sharing the room with Taylor, who was currently in the shower. Roxxi was packing her things into a suitcase. The following day, the TNA roster was to fly out to Texas where they were going to do a few house shows before going back to Florida to do another Impact episode. Ellie had her laptop in her lap and was scrolling through a list of songs she'd downloaded.

"I think we _should_ make our tag match a 6-person," Ellie said. "Jim tells me that Madison wants a rematch against me. I thought she was going to get put in the triple threat match at Destination X, but turns out she was needed in your match instead. But she _did_ assault me tonight, I haven't forgotten. Jim says she wants a piece of me, well I want a piece of her. And I'm sure Taylor would want to rematch with them too."

"I'm sure she would. We can ask her when she comes out," Roxxi said. "We'll go see Jim and adjust the match later. What are you up to, in the meantime?"

"I'm looking up new theme songs for when I return to the WWE," Ellie said. "I don't feel much like sticking with my old one. It's a new chapter for Lina Lavigne, and as such, she needs a new theme song."

"Lina Lavigne? Oh right, that was your WWE name," Roxxi mused. "Tell me about your WWE days. I don't think I've ever heard you talk about it."

"It's not like I've been trying to keep it a secret," Ellie answered. "It's just that no one's asked me before. Plus I've been busy."

"Well you're not right now," Roxxi said. "Have at it."

Ellie raised her eyebrows and grinned. "Not much to say. I was in the WWE for a few years, don't much remember. I was brought on to Raw as Jeff Hardy's intern. Eventually, I dropped the title 'intern' and became his valet. I actually ended up starting my own feuds with his enemies and trying to pick fights with them. Jeff kept it under control."

"That sounds like you in TNA," Roxxi said. "Except there's no one to keep you under control."

"Christian did, but he left. AJ's trying, but he can only do so much," Ellie said.

"And what's the rest of it?"

"The rest? Few years went by and I came here. And…that's about it, without getting in to elaborate detail."

"Sounds exciting," Roxxi said.

"It was," Ellie replied. "Lots of crap happened, though. Again, I won't go into detail."

"Oh? And you really want to go back?"

Ellie smiled. "You know, I went through _so much _shit while in the WWE, but put things in perspective…I would go back like _that_." She snapped her fingers. "Jeff and I still keep in touch and I watch Smackdown, you know, the brand he's on now. It's been upsetting."

"How so?"

"Jeff's brother Matt seems envious of his success and has tried numerous times to end his career," Ellie said. "I first found out, and I just didn't know what to say. Jeff and I still email each other, and he's just as confused as everyone else. And I used to be really close to Matt, too. It's hard for both of us, though I can't imagine how this must be making Jeff feel."

Both of them were silent for a while. Roxxi sensed that she needed to change the subject.

"So what was your theme song back then?" she asked.

Ellie didn't answer right away. "It was Tonight the Stars Revolt by Powerman 5000."

"Never heard of him."

"He's got a super sexy voice. He's actually Rob Zombie's little brother. Super hot," Ellie said, grinning. "Love him. Anyway, I'm looking at newer songs now. Right now I'm leaning towards I Don't Care by Fall Out Boy. It sounds nice. Maybe Hatredy by Dethklok, because it's brutal. Animals by Nickelback is good too." She paused. "And now I'm being IMed by Christian."

"You sure there's nothing going on between you two? He seems to IM you like, all the time."

"Shush," she said. "By the way, you want something to drink?"

"Sure. What about Christian?"

"He can wait." She set her laptop down and got up, strolling over to a mini-fridge by the door. When she returned, she was holding two beers, on which the labels looked very familiar.

"Where did you get these?" Roxxi asked.

"Roode and Storm," Ellie replied.

"Robert Roode and James Storm," Roxxi said. "Seriously? I always thought that they were really possessive of their beer."

"They're _Beer Money_," Ellie said. "They probably have a ton of it stashed away somewhere. Plus, I find that it's really easy to get what you want from them if you just flirt the hell out of them. I wasn't proud of it, but it beat going out and buying it."

"Free beer, I'm not complaining."

Ellie settled on the couch again and replied to the IM Christian had sent her.

**so what's new?**

_**i anticipate returning soon. my tag match with roxxi is probably going to end up being 6-person. madison's a bitch, attacked me tonight, and wants a rematch against me, so we're probably going to have to take care of her too.**_

**oh good. i expect it to be epic to the max.**

_**you want me to add a stipulation or something? i could totally make it hardcore.**_

**it doesn't have to be hardcore or extreme for it to be epic. **

_**because i'm in it? i agree.**_

…**sure. so what else is new?**

_**looking up new theme songs for my WWE return. feel like picking something more up to date. **_

**sounds fun. what've you got so far?**

_**i've been looking at this one called Animals. it's by Nickelback.**_

**never heard it. what's it about?**

_**what makes you so sure it's about anything?**_

**i'm not. but is it?**

_**yes. **_

**which is?**

_**sex.**_

There was a very long and extensive silence. It was most likely rather awkward on Christian's part, while Ellie on the other hand was rather content.

"You're giggling," Roxxi said. "What happened?"

"I told him Animals was about sex, and he stopped typing," Ellie said, grinning.

Roxxi stifled a laugh. "Is it really?"

"Check out these lyrics: 'Your mom don't know that you were missing, she'd be pissed if she could see the parts of you that I've been kissing'… 'you're beside me on the seat, got your hand between my knees and you control how fast we go by just how you want to squeeze'… 'I got both hands on the wheel while you got both hands on my gears'… 'I guess nobody told her not to speak with a full mouth'… 'we were parked out by the tracks, we're sittin' in the back and we just started getting busy when she whispered 'what was that'?' 'the wind I think' 'cause no one else knows where we are and that was when she started screaming 'that's my dad outside the car!' oh please, the keys, they're not in the ignition, must have wound up on the floor while we were switching our positions—'"

"Okay, that's enough, I get it," Roxxi said, trying to hold back the laughter.

**are you hinting something?**

"_What the hell?"_ Ellie exclaimed.

"What now?"

"He asked me if I was hinting something," Ellie said. "Is he asking me if I would do him or something?"

"Dude, you'd hit that in a second, I know you would," Roxxi answered.

"I most certainly would not!" Ellie snapped. "Tapping him would be like tapping my brother. Unless you're in to that kind of stuff…"

"I'm not," Roxxi replied. "You two are such weirdoes."

"I'm a weirdo? He started it," Ellie said.

_**certainly not! are you?**_

**that's a stupid question.**

_**so was yours, what's your point?**_

"I'm going to make so much fun of you now, you realize?" Roxxi said.

"Probably, yes," Ellie muttered. "I'd rather he ask me about like, the Mafia or something."

"How the hell did you get so mixed up with the Mafia in the first place?"

"Fuck, I don't know," Ellie sighed. "I was probably a little more attached to Christian than I would have liked, and the Mafia started picking on him, so I got involved."

Roxxi looked like she was going to say more, but there came a knock at their door before she could speak.

_**someone's here. gotta go.**_

'**kay. later elle.**

Ellie put her laptop down on the bed and walked towards the door. She peered through the peephole.

"Who is it?" Roxxi asked.

Ellie grinned. "The boss." She opened the door to reveal Jeff Jarret standing outside.

"Evening, ladies," he said.

"Hey Jeff," Ellie said, leaning against the doorframe. "Come to party with us? We have beer."

"I was not aware of this, though Robert and James did mutter some angry things about you while I passed them by earlier tonight," Jeff said. "This explains it, probably."

"So you want to party or not?"

"I decline, thanks," Jeff said, grinning sheepishly. "I'm handing out copies of the fight schedule for the three house shows to the people who'll be fighting those days. Ellie, Madison will be getting her rematch against you on one of those nights. The rest is on the schedule." He handed a sheet of paper to her. Ellie took it and looked it over. Jeff peered inside the room. "You guys doing all right in here? I don't see Taylor."

"She's in the shower, should be out soon," Ellie said, still reading the schedule. "Thanks for this, Jeff. We'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

"All right," he said. "I suggest you ladies get some sleep in the meantime."

"We'll think about it," Ellie said, smiling. Jeff left and she closed the door.

"Who was that?" Taylor asked, emerging from the bathroom with a towel in her hair.

"Jeffie's telling us to go to sleep," Ellie said, walking back over to her bed. "Who is he, our dad?"

"Well he does have three daughters," Roxxi said.

"Yeah, but we're not them," Taylor observed.

"At any rate, Taylor," Ellie said. "We've decided we hate Madison too and want to make this tag match a six-person. You in?"

"Psh yeah," Taylor said. "Surprised you had to ask. _Also,_ where did the beer come from?"

"It's in the fridge," Ellie said, pointing towards the mini-fridge. "As effective as flirting the high holy hell out of Roode and Storm is, I could only obtain three bottles from them. So enjoy it until I see them again."

"Better wake up early tomorrow morning if you want to catch them," Roxxi said. "I think Jeff's right. Let's get some sleep."

"I hadn't even drank anything yet," Taylor said.

"Maybe they'll have alcohol on the plane," Ellie said. "Drink carts usually do."

"One can only hope," Taylor said, climbing in to bed.

"Are we all done packing?" Roxxi asked.

"I'll set the alarm to go off a little early so we can finish and double-check," Ellie said.

"And remember, talk to Jim about the updated match," Taylor said.

"Sure will. Good night, guys."

She turned out the light and laid back in her bed. She sighed, smiling, feeling content for the first time in days. Falling asleep was notably easy that night.

End Chapter 12

More on the Ellie and Matt heel situation will be in the sequel.  
hope you all enjoyed the chapter. The story's almost done! Ohz NOEZ! …but on the plus side, you guys also get a prequel AND a sequel.  
reviews and crit always appreciated. I need more reviews. Seriously.


	13. Secure

So…I actually don't know what's going to happen in this chapter. I usually do…so going into this chapter totally unprepared is…discomforting. DX  
**Warnings:** strong language, violence/beat downs  
**Disclaimers:** don't own tna, blah blah, I own Ellie, blah.  
**To the Readers:** I'm very happy with the amount of reviews/favs/alerts I've been getting for the story. I only ask that if you fav or add this story to your alerts that you please review it too. :D  
**Note:** I found actual technical names for some of Ellie's finishers. They are as follows:  
_Icebreaker:_ Electric Chair Facebuster  
_Wing Crusher:_ bridging Electric Chair Drop  
_Icepick:_ modified Hammerlock Chinlock  
_Angel Drop: _modified 180 degree scoop slam (discontinued)  
_Descent:_ sommersault leg drop (from the top rope) (discontinued)  
They have been edited in previous chapters (except for the discontinued ones. Damn I gave her a lot of finishers).  
**Note II:** changed some stuff in previous chapters. It was previously mentioned that Ellie's wing tattoos were blue. They are now black. Also, it has been mentioned that Ellie had never fought in an intergender match before. That has also been changed, so now she has. It works better with the prequel I'm planning right now. So if you go back and see anything I haven't changed yet, let me know so I can.

**Chapter 13: secure**

Word got out that the Roxxi/Ellie tag team against Angelina and Velvet was now a six-woman tag match with Roxxi, Ellie, and Taylor going up against all three members of the Beautiful People. Madison was taken aback, and admittedly, a little worried. During the house shows in Texas, Ellie won her rematch against her. Ellie had Roxxi and Taylor in her corner, and Madison had Angelina and Velvet in hers. After the match, an all out brawl took place between the six Knockouts, and only ended when security intervened.

The brawl only fueled Ellie's decision to turn this tag match into a six-person match. She called it "the decision maker."

It was Thursday again. Sting and Kurt were supposed to have their "Empty Arena Match" tonight. Ellie didn't really know what to expect.

"Elle, did you hear?"

Roxxi and Taylor were running excitedly towards her. They both looked about ready to burst. Ellie raised both eyebrows and grinned. "What?" she inquired.

"Not only has Cornette been receiving heat from you about the constant delay of our tag team match, but now the Beautiful People are bitching at him about it!" Roxxi said.

"Seems that the addition of Madison and myself to the match fueled the excitement," Taylor added. "Now they _really_ want a piece of us."

"Well that's great," Ellie said. "But what does that mean for us?"

"Cornette's decided that he's sick of hearing about this match, so he's going to make it happen," Roxxi exclaimed. "It's next week!"

Ellie gaped.

"It's been building for so long, it almost got main event status!" Taylor said.

After a few seconds, Ellie found the ability to talk again. "Well it's about time!"

"Hmm?"

"I've been here for how long—almost a year? And we're only just now getting to this match?" she said.

"It _did_ take a while, granted," Roxxi said. "But at least we get to do it now."

"I guess," Ellie said. "You know, I was actually on my way to watch the fights."

"Where at?"

"I _was_ going to hang out with security backstage and watch them from there, but now I need to tell Christian about next week, so…I guess I'll be in my dressing room," she answered. "Want to come with? I have more beer."

"Absolutely," Roxxi said, smiling.

As they started walking towards Ellie's dressing room, Taylor said, "Did you get the beers by seducing Roode and Storm again?"

"Nah, I just swiped it," Ellie replied. "They're both in the ring right now, I think."

"You think?"

"There's some sort of tag team match going on," she said. "It's like, an 8-person tag match. I forget who's in it. Something like Beer Money, the Motorcity Machine Guns, Booker and Steiner, and the British Invasion."

"Well that sounds like fun," Roxxi said.

"I won't be sad if I miss it," Ellie said. "I just want to see the Kurt vs. Sting match tonight."

"That totally ridiculous match that's essentially inviting Kurt and Sting to tear each other apart?" Taylor asked. "Yeah I want to see it too."

"Super awesome," Ellie said. "Let's go."

Her dressing room was on the other side of the Impact Zone's backstage, so they decided to converse a little bit on the way. Ellie couldn't say that she had much experience with multiple-person tag team matches. She did have experience, but just not _much._

"Really?" Roxxi said. "What the hell did you _do_ in the WWE?"

"I did like, one or two 6-person tag matches, since after Lita left, I started valeting for Jeff and Matt Hardy," Ellie said. "It's not much, but at least it's something."

"That's it? You just teamed with Matt and Jeff?"

"I didn't do much tag teaming with the Divas," Ellie admitted. "It was mostly with Jeff. Which you know, I was fine with."

"We should get some practice in between now and next week, then," said Taylor. "Do the usual stuff, like talk about technique and strategy, watch videos…maybe we can use the ring at this weekend's house show before and/or after the show and work on some stuff then."

"We should ask Jarret or Mick if it's okay," Roxxi said.

"I'm wondering if we'd even have time to use the ring at the house show to practice at all," Ellie said. "I know it takes some time to set up, and then after the show we usually—."

She was cut off when she rounded the corner and was caught off guard by a boot to the face. Ellie went down as Angelina, Velvet, and Madison attacked Roxxi and Taylor. The two of them went down as well as the three Beautiful People stood over them, screaming. Ellie was on her side, clutching her face and groaning. Angelina rolled her onto her back and mounted her.

"Bitch, who the _fuck_ do you think you're messing with?" she screamed. "I will _personally_ make sure you _never_ get up again after next week!"

"And you two? _Bitches?_ You won't even _make it _to next week!" Madison shrieked at Roxxi and Taylor.

Angelina wrapped her fingers around Ellie's neck. "I will _END _you, _RIGHT now!"_ She screamed this at Ellie as she began slamming her head into the floor. Ellie had been victim to this kind of attack before, in the ring. The ring floor seemed to cushion the blow more. This floor…was much harder. Ellie could feel her brain being rattled around inside her head as Angelina continued her relentless attack.

Madison was trying to choke Taylor, who was making an attempt to fight back.

"Get her!" Velvet shrilled. "_GET HER!"_

Ellie tried kicking at Angelina. It didn't do her much good.

Roxxi managed to throw Velvet off of her and into the wall. Madison stomped on Roxxi long enough for Velvet to get back in the game. Velvet was screaming hysterically as she tried to choke Roxxi.

Ellie couldn't find a means of escape, try as she may.

"Hey! Get off them!"

Well, it turns out she didn't have to.

Angelina, Velvet, and Madison quickly jumped off of their victims, backing up. Ellie couldn't tell who the voice belonged to. Not yet. She rolled onto her side and coughed hoarsely. First thing she did was check on Taylor and Roxxi. They seemed to be doing better than she was.

"Stay _out_ of this!" Angelina shouted. "This doesn't even concern you, but I _swear_ it _will!"_

"What the hell is your problem? Get the hell out of here!"

Ellie rolled onto the back again and looked up. AJ Styles was standing over them, holding a framed picture he had taken off the wall. He was brandishing it at the Beautiful People, who were still backing up and shouting at him.

"Go on, get out of here!" AJ shouted. "You'll all be real _damn lucky_ if I don't report you to Dixie!"

"Piss off, AJ!"

"_Move it!"_

The three members of the Beautiful People finally turned on foot and sprinted down the hallway. AJ made sure they were gone before he started to settle down. He gave a frustrated sigh as he threw the wall picture down fiercely. He muttered something to himself that sounded a lot like "Stupid whores…" as he knelt down by Ellie and her tag team partners.

"AJ…" Ellie rasped.

"God, Ellie, are you guys okay?" he asked, much more gentle now.

"Hurts…" Ellie said, hoarsely.

"Jesus, what happened?"

"The goddamn skanks blindsighted us," Roxxi said, sitting up.

"Are you all right?"

"We're okay," Taylor said, also straightening up. "Looks like Ellie got the worst of it. They've really gotten out of control."

"_Fuck,_" Ellie muttered, trying to sit up. She started coughing again.

"AJ, thanks so much for saving us," Taylor said.

"No problem. And how are you doing, Elle?" AJ said, putting his hand on her back.

"Better, sort of," Ellie said. "My head hurts. We should really put softer carpet in these halls."

"How is that you were so conveniently able to get to us in time, AJ?" Taylor asked.

"I was nearby talking to some Frontline people," AJ answered. "I probably wouldn't have found you guys if your assailants hadn't been screaming so loudly."

"And here I thought the screaming was a bad thing," Ellie said. AJ helped her to stand up after she convinced him that she could. As she was getting up, she managed to catch a glimpse of said Frontline members from over AJ's shoulder.

"AJ, everything okay?"

Brothers Ray and Devon of Team 3D had stepped into the hallway to check up on the altercation. Ellie sighed as she leaned on AJ for support.

"Fine," she said.

"You don't look fine," Ray noted.

"They got assaulted by their next opponents," AJ said. "They'll be okay."

"Is the match next week just a regular match? You should make it no-disqualification," Ray said.

"It's a tag team grudge match," Ellie said. "That might automatically make it no-DQ. Maybe not."

"We'll look into it later," Roxxi said.

Ray shrugged. "Or you could just go after them."

"And blindsight them like they just did to us?" she said. "Thanks, but we're not that low."

AJ observed that Ellie was still leaning on him. "You want me to take you to the medical wing?"

"It is absolutely nothing I can't handle," Ellie insisted. "I just need to rest, is all."

"Where are you headed?"

"My dressing room. Need to take care of some stuff," she replied. "Thanks for your help AJ, 3D. We'll see you around."

Standing wasn't too difficult. Walking wasn't too difficult either. The back of her head was still throbbing, but at least it was bearable. The three Knockouts reached Ellie's dressing room with no second interception.

"Think I really need this," Ellie said, popping open a beer. She handed another one to each Taylor and Roxxi. "What a day."

"And what a day it's going to be," Roxxi said. "Though I don't think the worst of it is quite here yet."

"Next week just needs to hurry up and get here," Ellie sighed. "I'd really like to get my hands on those bitches."

"Just relax for today. You really need to," Taylor said. "Let's all just kick back and watch the fights."

She went to Ellie's small TV and turned it on to the live-circuit channel. The 8-man tag team match was taking place, and all four teams had started brawling outside of the ring. The three of them watched in silent amusement as the fight left the Impact Zone and entered the parking lot. The referee had long ago run the bell, thus throwing out the match, but no one seemed to notice or care.

"Hang on…" Ellie said, leaning forward.

Each of the eight men were occupied with an opponent and were brawling into the parking lot. They didn't seem to be aware of their surroundings, or even the cars they were throwing each other against. Ellie was.

"That's my car!" she exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"They're fighting on my car!" she said. "Damnit, it's not even mine! I had to rent it from the airport! If they dent it or—I'm liable! _Goddamn!"_

Roxxi and Taylor watched as Ellie bolted out of the room and disappeared down the hallway. Roxxi propped her feet up on the table and took a sip from her beer.

"So much for kicking back and relaxing," Taylor said. "This just isn't her day, is it?"

"Well maybe she still plans on relaxing," Roxxi said. "She took her beer with her."

"Hmm…" Taylor mused. "Wonder where she went."

"Probably the parking lot. She _did_ mention her car."

"Yeah, but what can she do about it?"

Roxxi shrugged and leaned back in her seat. They were watching the match again, still unraveling in the parking lot. For some reason, security wasn't taking initiative to control the brawl, nor were they anywhere in sight. The parking lot fight raged on.

"Maybe she's going to go party with them?" Taylor suggested.

"Not much of a party," Roxxi laughed.

"Or play peacemaker?"

"She's not much of that either. If anything, she's the exact opposite of a peacemaker."

"Well hell, I'm stumped."

On the TV, the British Invasion was occupied with Beer Money, and Booker T and Scott Steiner were dealing the pain to the Motorcity Machine Guns. Brutus Magnus was wrestling Robert Roode against Ellie's Toyota rental, trying to slam his face into the hood. Roode's partner James Storm was trying to help him, but was being hindered by Magnus' partner Doug Williams. Williams sent Storm sprawling across the parking lot pavement and started to go after Roode.

"What's that?" Roxxi asked.

"Huh?"

Williams suddenly collapsed with the sound of shattering glass, and all men stopped fighting. The cameraman quickly pulled back to show Ellie advancing on Brutus Magnus, wielding the broken beer bottle in one hand.

"_Get the hell off my car!" _She kicked Magnus once in the stomach and he doubled over. "Here hold this," she said, handing the broken bottle to Roode. She grabbed Magnus by his pants and hair and sent him viciously into the Jeep next to them.

"Is this ours?" Roode asked, examining the bottle she handed to him.

"Was," she replied. She patted him on the back. "You may all resume beating each other up."

They watched as she walked out of the parking lot, shaking beer from her hands. Roode stared after her, still holding the broken bottle, as the British Invasion lay writhing on the ground. Storm came over to stand by Roode.

"You know," he said, "I can't decide whether I hate her or not."

**.xXx.**

"Your _car?_" Cornette bellowed. "You hit Doug Williams in the head with a beer bottle because you were worried about your _car?_ He could have been seriously hurt!_"_

"The car's not even mine!" Ellie protested. "It's the airport's! I didn't want them beating the hell out of the airport's car and then have _me_ pay for it!"

"Ellie—."

"No, you know what?" Ellie said. "Don't you turn this around on me. I wouldn't have hit Williams in the head if _security_ had been involved, because had security been involved, then the match never would have went anywhere _near_ the parking lot. But god knows that your security team happens to be tremendously inept and is otherwise incapable of doing even the easiest—."

"Okay, get out," Cornette sighed furiously through gritted teeth. "You're damn lucky I don't pull your tag team match next week."

"You can't do that."

"And why not?"

"Because if you do, then you're going to have all six of us on your case until you pull it back up."

Cornette's face started turning red. "Just…get out."

Ellie smiled. "Pleasure doing business with you, Jim."

She turned on foot and exited his office, smiling as she soaked in the image of him clutching his forehead with much frustration. He shooed her out, unceremoniously slamming the door behind her. She raised an eyebrow and shrugged it off, deciding to go back to her dressing room. She was sure that Roxxi and Taylor would want to know what happened, given that they probably saw her intervention in what _was_ the 8-person tag team match. She absently wondered if the boys actually listened to her and resumed beating each other up, or if they had already decided that they were done.

She swayed suddenly. Surprised, she stopped walking and leaned on the wall. The back of her head was throbbing again. She put her hand over the throbbing spot as she winced. She was feeling lightheaded, and therefore was forced to lean on the wall more heavily.

"That's not good…" she breathed. She turned around and staggered towards the medical wing. "I should have let AJ take me when he offered it."

The trek to the medical wing was not an easy one. There weren't many people wandering around backstage at this time. The show was nearly over, so the wrestlers were either at the hotel or out on the town somewhere. The few people she did pass probably thought she was drunk, what with all the staggering she was doing. No one stopped to check on her.

When Ellie reached the medical wing, she kicked the door open and went inside. There were about two paramedics inside, both of whom were busy with paperwork of some sort. They both looked up when Ellie entered, still swaying dangerously and holding the back of her head.

"Oh my god, what happened?" one of them asked.

"I got attacked. I'm fine," Ellie insisted.

"You don't look fine," he said as he sat her down in a chair.

"Funny, Brother Ray said the same thing," she mused. "Look, just give me some painkillers and I'll be on my way."

"Not so fast," he said. "Knowing you, you've probably sustained some damage of some sort. Who did this to you?" He was pulling her hair away from the back of her head now.

"The Skanky People, who else?"

"The who? Oh, I see. This does seem like their work."

He was silent after that. He poked around her head with a flashlight. She tapped her fingers on her legs.

"So what's the verdict?"

"Looks like nothing more than just a bump on the head. A little bruised, but you'll be fine," he replied. "The swaying was probably just a side effect of the initial aftermath of the beating. This is a hard business to get by in. I guess you already knew that."

"I'd say so."

"Now, I want you to take it easy for—."

"Not in _this_ life time, mister!" Ellie exclaimed, jumping up. "I have a gigantic match next week that I've been waiting for since day one! I'm not missing it!"

"Look, I'm sure waiting one or two more weeks won't—."

"You try it some time!" Ellie retorted. "I'm fighting next week! Now, just give me some painkillers or—."

"I know, I know. You'll DDT me onto broken glass. _Sheesh_."

"I don't know why you even come here if all you do is not take the advice we give you," the other paramedic said from the other side of the room.

"I come here for the _meds_, of course," Ellie replied, callously. "What kind of a fighter would I be if I actually listened to you guys?" She stuffed the meds in her pocket and headed out the door.

Outside, she came across a drinking fountain. She popped two of the pills and washed it down with some water. Ellie leaned her head back and sighed with content, unconsciously moving her hand to the back of her head. She touched the bump, wincing slightly. It was still tender. She figured she could just put some ice on it until next week. By then it should be all right.

"Well, at least I don't have to work any house shows this weekend…" she mused.

Part of her leg was getting cold. She glanced down to find that some water had dripped onto her jeans. Part of her leg was obscured by the fountain, so she stepped back away from it. When she backed up, she ended up bumping into someone. Surprised, she turned around and looked up.

"You!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, there you are," said Sting, unphased by her remark. "I've been looking for you."

Ellie was taken aback. She stared at him suspiciously. "What for?"

"Well, I heard that you got attacked earlier today. I was walking and noticed you coming out of the trainers' room, and wanted to make sure you were okay," he replied.

Well by now, she was more than just taken aback. She was staring at him incredulously. "Um…I'm sorry, what?"

"What, is that bad?" he asked.

"N—no!" she said, quickly. "I was just…surprised, is all."

"All right," he said. There was a short pause. "Well? _Are_ you okay?"

For a few seconds, she didn't say anything, surprised by his concern. It seemed almost uncharacteristic of him to be checking up on her like this, since she was apparently such an avid enemy of the Main Event Mafia. She didn't quite expect this from him, also since they just squared off in a match against each other not too long ago, when they very well could have backed down out of it. Since then, she had been under the impression that he didn't care about her well-being, and therefore making him…just another Mafia member.

But then again, he did protest about the match. And the time Kurt Angle took her out with an Angle Slam, the way he looked at her…And then there was what he said to her backstage before she called him out. The time he saved her after her tag team match with AJ. Everything else he's done for her. And now, him standing there, checking up on her…He's done so much for her. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

Slowly, she nodded. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine now. Um…thank you, Sting."

He also nodded. "Good. Take care of yourself, Elle. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a match up next." He adjusted his coat and started to walk away.

Ellie bit her lip. "Um, good luck, Sting," she called after him.

He smirked. "Please, it's just Kurt."

And then he was gone. Yet still she stood in the hallway, between the dripping drinking fountain and the door to the trainers' room, completely absent from the world.

"Well," she said, "that was weird."

**.xXx.**

"I'd ask you where you've been, but we already know," Roxxi said.

"Was that televised?" Ellie asked.

"Of course it was!" Taylor replied. "Everyone saw you beat the crap out of the British Invasion."

"What, that's all?"

"Was there more?"

"Oh you know, the usual," Ellie said. "Jim called me in to yell at me some more. Then I started feeling the aftershock of the beatdown, so I got some meds from the trainers, and then Sting ambushed me in the hall to make sure I was okay. Yeah, pretty typical."

Roxxi and Taylor stared at her for a while.

"That last part certainly does seem like it's becoming typical in your routine," Roxxi said.

"Not like I planned for it to be that way," Ellie said.

"Noted. Hey, we've got to start packing," Taylor said.

"What for?"

"Remember? The Empty Arena Match is tonight," Taylor replied. "We have to go back to the hotel before Kurt and Sting can go to town on each other."

"And I already talked to one of the broadcast guys," Roxxi said. "He said he'll stream a live feed to everyone's computers so that we can still watch the match."

"Oh all right," Ellie said. "I'll get on it."

The three of them packed quickly with little being said. On the way out of Ellie's dressing room, they encountered several other Superstars who were also heading out. They ran into Hernandez and Homicide of LAX, who were also eager to see the Empty Arena Match. They parted ways when LAX took a detour out to the side of the building where they had parked their car. Ellie's group continued out to the employee parking lot.

The drive to the hotel was a short one. They encountered other Superstars in the lobby, but they spared themselves an idle conversation and headed straight up to their room.

"I don't understand how this match would even work," Roxxi said. "There are no referees, right?"

"As far as I know," Taylor replied. "It is pretty confusing, I guess. Hey Elle, how's the internet coming along?"

"Just got it hooked up," Ellie said, tapping in to the hotel's WiFi. "If I did this correctly, then the match should start showing soon."

"Is the stream working?"

tap tap tap…

"Yes. It's starting," Ellie replied. "Hope you guys don't mind if I'm on AIM while the match is showing."

"We should just attach you two to your hips," Roxxi said, smirking.

"I should retort that, but I won't," Ellie said. She moved the video window over and brought up an IM window on the other half of the screen. Christian wasn't online at the moment, but she left the window open as the match started.

There were no introductions, but the broadcasters were still audible, though couldn't be seen. Sting and Kurt entered the ring, and without the cheering fans to drown out the noise, every word they said could be heard. They started talking down to each other before Kurt dealt the first blow, and the fight officially began.

The match didn't stay in the ring, and with no referee enforcement, it didn't go back to the ring. The two men even entered the fan area, fighting now in what would have been the crowd. Ellie was very amused and captivated by this match. She wasn't all that surprised when she found herself silently rooting for Sting.

Christian signed on several minutes later. She sent him a message.

_**hey you. took you long enough to sign on.**_

**i was with some friends. why, were you waiting on me?**

"Yes. She was," Taylor said. Ellie slapped her on the arm.

_**kinda. i'm watching a match from the hotel right now, wanted to tell you some stuff.**_

**the hotel? aren't you at the impact zone?**

_**nope. tonight's the empty arena match.**_

**oh, that crazy thing i've been hearing about from everyone. how is it so far?**

_**so wicked awesome. it's essentially a no holds barred match since there are no referees or security. kind of questioning the wiseness behind that.**_

**still, that sounds like it would make for a really awesome fight. anyway, what did you want to tell me?**

"That she's madly in love with you, what else?" Roxxi said.

"Would it be easier to stream the match to _your_ computer instead?" Ellie snapped bitterly.

_**oh, you know. the usual.**_

**so what, you got jumped again?**

_**forshame, practicing your psychic abilities on me like that! but yes, roxxi and taylor and i got jumped by the BP. AJ made the save. **_

**good of him.**

_**of course it was, it's AJ. got meds from the trainers, then bumped into Sting.**_

**oh?**

_**he wanted to make sure I was okay.**_

There was a pause. Ellie raised her eyebrow at the screen. In the meantime, she went back to watching the match. She didn't get to watch very much.

**that um…hmm. i see. kind of expected him to be the one to save you from the BP.**

_**haha i didn't. i was totally surprised when he said that. **_

She paused briefly to watch some more of the Empty Arena Match. Sting and Kurt had fought their way up the fan risers, utilizing everything they could find into a weapon. Sting dragged Kurt over to the chain link fence barrier at the end of the risers and, with some difficulty, threw him over it.

_**WOAH!**_

**what?**

_**Sting just threw Kurt like, 20 feet to the floor from the stands!**_

**oh wow. i wish i could see this right now. i'll try to catch the Impact replay later. how's the match now? still going?**

_**yep. Sting's going down to go after Kurt…on the floor now. looking around…OMG Kurt just hit him with a trash can.**_

**after taking a fall like that? what the hell!**

"You two sound like such kids," Roxxi said.

"Hey, I've been waiting for this match for a _long_ time," Ellie replied. "I'm excited."

"Yeah, I'm pretty excited too," Taylor said.

More weapon shots were delivered. Cheap shots were dealt to buy time. Kurt tried to beg for mercy as Sting loomed over him with a chair. Sting wouldn't buy it.

_**hang on. i think the match might be over.**_

**how so?**

_**Kevin Nash just arrived. asking them if they're done being stupid yet.**_

Kevin Nash was soon joined by the rest of the Main Event Mafia, Booker T and Scott Steiner. Kevin tried to end the fight, but Kurt lashed back by suddenly saying that he hated Sting. Kevin, evidently having enough, vehemently told them that the Mafia was about family, and that they've deterred away from their mission. He shouted at Kurt and Sting to make things right.

**what's happening now?**

_**Sting wants a handshake. he's saying "i'm man enough. are you?"**_

**ooo deep.**

_**now Kurt and Sting are shaking hands…nothing now…oh! Kurt just spat in Sting's face.**_

**huh. not really surprised.**

_**fighting again…Mafia's trying to break it up. i think it's over now. lauren's interviewing Sting, and holy damn he's pissed.**_

**i'd expect as much.**

"Are you two done yet? We really should get to sleep," Roxxi said. "We have to catch an early flight tomorrow for the stupid house show."

Ellie groaned. "Why so many…"

"Well, we only have to do two shows, and then we can just go home and relax," Taylor said.

"And I'm sure my sad little apartment misses me," Ellie muttered.

She bade Christian goodnight and turned off her computer as her roommates got ready for bed. While they were moving around, trying to find their belongings, Ellie sat at the desk with her computer in front of her. Ask her what she was doing, and she would reply with "I'm thinking."

She wasn't quite sure what she was thinking of herself. The match, Christian, or that day's happenings. What have you. Whatever her mind was thinking of at the moment suddenly took a detour to Sting Street and then broke down.

"Elle?"

She turned around.

"You okay? You're just…sitting there," Taylor said.

"Yeah," she replied. "Just um…thinking."

Taylor and Roxxi shrugged it off as Ellie pulled out the fold-out couch. Several minutes later, the three of them were in bed, the lights were off, and the only sound in the room was coming from the vents in the ceiling. Many more minutes later and Roxxi and Taylor were asleep. Ellie was still lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. She eventually rolled over, and as she felt herself drifting off to sleep, she thought to herself…

_I really should go see Sting tomorrow._

End Chapter 13

Ooo what's the growing relationship between Ellie and Sting? And am I going somewhere with this? Stay tuned to find out!  
for those of you who, for some reason, don't yet know, Dixie is the president of TNA. Full name is Dixie Carter. In case anyone was wondering when AJ threatened to report the BP to "Dixie."  
i think I originally intended for this to be the last chapter, but I decided that putting the 6-Knockout tag team match at the end would be too soon. I wanted to build up to it, I think. But there's no more delaying it now, so…next chapter. Last chapter.  
Don't worry though, there'll be an epilogue. In the meantime, please review!


	14. Out With a Bang

Omg it's here. This is it. This is…the last chapter (the last _real_ chapter, I mean. There's still an epilogue after this, of course). I do hope you all enjoy it.  
**Warnings:** mass awesomeness, in the form of a 6-Knockout tag team match (which should be a great challenge to write, I'm sure). Fluff and cuteness towards the end.  
**Disclaimers:** I don't own TNA, I own Ellie and everything associated with her.  
**Note:** following this chapter will be a short epilogue. Once that is done, production on the Vindictive Angels prequel story, "Demonic Angels," will begin. Visit my bio page occasionally for updates, and my story archive for the first chapter!  
**Note II:** I do hope you'll excuse the massive lateness of this update. School and my computer have been a bitch lately. At least school's almost over.  
**Note III: **i lost the battle against over single character scene breaks. so when you see the ".xXx." somewhere in the middle of the chapter, that's what it is. i don't like it.  
**Reviews and Critique:** yes please!

**Chapter 14: out with a bang**

"_Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is a 6-Knockout tag team no-disqualification grudge match set for one fall!"_

The last week had gone by so quickly. Whether it was the constant training that made the time fly, or the unbearable anticipation, Ellie didn't quite know. All she knew what that she was here now, and that no matter the outcome of tonight's match, this was the end.

"What am I saying, of course we're going to win!" Ellie scoffed. Roxxi and Taylor grinned.

But it was still over. She knew that.

"_Introducing first, the team of Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, and Madison Rayne…The Beautiful People!"_

A wave of jeers washed over the Impact Zone as the three blondes entered the arena. They did their lengthy suggestive entrance before they began strutting down the ramp towards the ring. They seemed much more cocky and haughty than usual. Velvet was holding a can of hairspray and was spraying it into the camera as she passed it. Madison was carrying at least two paper bags, each with a photo of their faces on it.

Ellie never went to see Sting. She wanted to, intended to, but it never happened. She didn't know what it was. Maybe she was just avoiding the situation, or he was busy. She heard that after the Empty Arena Match, Sting became more occupied with the Main Event Mafia than usual, in an attempt to mend things with Kurt. But word had it that things were still heated between them. She didn't know.

"_And their opponents, first, from New Orleans, Louisiana, the Hardcore Knockout, Roxxi! Next, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Taylor Wilde! And last, from Temecula, California, the Ice Angel, Ellie Blackwood!"_

The Beautiful People's three opponents walked out onto the stage to meet much cheer from the crowd. Her mind was still clouded with questions, but this was no time to be occupied with matters elsewhere.

Once the three of them stepped onto ramp, Ellie suddenly took off and bolted towards the ring. Roxxi and Taylor were caught off guard, yet soon followed, finding it almost difficult to match Ellie's speed. Ellie reached into the ring, grabbed Angelina by her ankles and pulled. Angelina fell onto her back and screamed shrilly as Ellie wrenched her out of the ring. Caught up in her fury and adrenaline, Ellie forgot all about Sting and leaving.

Ellie slammed Angelina over and over into the steel guard rails, and the crowd ate it up. Ellie whipped Angelina into the stairs, where she hit with a loud thump and fell to the floor. Ellie mounted her and started throttling her. Velvet and Madison jumped out of the ring, grabbing Ellie by her hair and yanking her away from Angelina. Madison slammed Ellie's face into the ring apron, and when she staggered away, Velvet kicked her in the chest and she hit the guard rails. Taylor and Roxxi came over and floored Madison and Velvet.

"_It um…should be noted that the match has not officially started yet. One Knockout from each team must enter the ring first."_

"_I think they're just having fun taking their time, Mike, don't you?"_

Ellie had both of her arms over the guard rails, chest aching. The fans behind her were cheering ecstatically. She took a few seconds and then pushed away from the rail towards Angelina. Angelina caught her off guard with a drop toe-hold, sending her face-first into the steel steps. Angelina pulled her up, throwing her into the ring apron once before tossing her into the ring. Angelina jumped in after her and the bell rang. Angelina pinned Ellie, pressing her forearm into the side of Ellie's face. At two counts, Ellie kicked out.

"_This is going to be a great match, I can tell. With all the Beautiful People have been doing to those three women just building up, the intensity is going to be off the scales here. All hell is going to break loose."_

Roxxi and Taylor were now standing on the apron. Across the ring from them were Madison and Velvet. Angelina grabbed Ellie by the throat and slammed her head into the mat. By the time the referee pulled Angelina off of her, the back of her head _burned._ Angelina, thoroughly satisfied, tagged in Madison. She held Ellie in a double-chickenwing, and Madison kicked her in the stomach. Angelina exited the ring. Madison hooked Ellie into a wristlock and tried to work on her arm, but Ellie kicked her in the legs. Frustrated, she snapped Ellie onto her back, her head bouncing off the mat. Ellie's hands flew to the back of her head, and she tried to crawl towards her corner. Madison grabbed her ankle and tried pulling her away. Ellie got to her feet, trying to shake Madison off of her. She wouldn't give, so Ellie hit her in the head with an Enzuigiri. Both women went down.

Ellie had forgotten to take painkillers before the match. She decided that she could really use some right about now. She was still holding the back of her head with one hand, and reaching out towards her corner with the other. Madison was starting to get up, and in desperation, Ellie dove towards her corner, just barely catching Roxxi's hand with her own.

Roxxi jumped into the ring, completely pumped. She hit Madison with a series of clotheslines as Taylor checked on Ellie.

"Hey, you doing all right?" she asked.

"As all right as I'm going to be," Ellie replied. "Really, it's fine."

Roxxi was sitting on Madison, beating her fists on every inch of her she could find. Madison was trying to cover her face with her arms, screaming hysterically. So Angelina and Velvet got in the ring and leveled Roxxi with a big boot.

"That's our cue," Taylor said, slapping Ellie on the arm.

Taylor jumped over the ropes and laid out Velvet and Angelina. Ellie, still hurting, soon followed. The throbbing wasn't bothering her anymore. In fact, in the moment she was caught up in, she hardly noticed it. Madison tripped up Roxxi, enabling Velvet to knock her down. Angelina managed to get an offense in at Taylor. Ellie grabbed Madison by the hair and pulled her to her feet. She dragged her into a corner, where she wrecked the turnbuckle with Madison's face. Taylor recovered, and she and Ellie whipped Angelina and Madison into each other. Roxxi powerbombed Velvet onto them to top off the pile.

"Who's legal again?" Roxxi asked. "The brawl kind of confuses things."

"Uh…it's supposed to be you and Madison," Taylor said.

"Well, then let's get rid of the excess," Ellie said.

She kicked Velvet off of the other two, dragging her to the side of the ring. Taylor took a hold of Angelina and followed. Madison tried to Irish Whip Roxxi into the ropes, but she countered with a hammerlock. While Roxxi set Madison up for the Voodoo Drop, Ellie and Taylor attempted to scoop slam their opponents out of the ring. Roxxi hit the Voodoo Drop as Angelina raked Taylor across the eyes. She dropped her, Ellie threw Velvet outside the ring, and Roxxi tried pinning Madison. At two, Angelina broke up the count by attacking Roxxi. When she stood up, she took Roxxi with her. She aimed to strike her with a forearm shot to the head, but Ellie dropkicked her in the back and Angelina tumbled out of the ring.

"_The referee's trying to restore order, but I don't know if that's possible! These six women hold such a strong grudge for each other, chaos was just bound to break loose sooner or later."_

Madison surprised Roxxi with a roll-up, but she managed to kick out at two counts. The referee took a moment to separate Ellie and Taylor from the other two members of the Beautiful People, telling them to go back to their respective corners.

"_Personally, I don't see why order is even needed,"_ said Don West. _"This is a grudge match, right? I say we should just let them all go to town on each other."_

Ellie and Taylor were eventually forced to retreat back to their corner, as did Angelina and Velvet. They were all watching the fight intently. Madison tried kicking Roxxi in the midsection, but Roxxi caught her foot. She pushed her away and Madison dove for the ropes. She slingshotted off, and both women tried clotheslining each other at the same time. Both went down.

Taylor threw her arm over the top rope, begging Roxxi for a tag. Roxxi looked hurt, and was moving towards her corner slowly. Madison crawled over to her teammates and tagged in Velvet. Velvet jumped into the ring and grabbed Roxxi by the foot, trying to separate her from her corner.

"Oh, to hell with this!" Taylor said.

Ellie watched in surprise as she jumped over the ropes and leveled Velvet with a strong clothesline. Angelina came in to even the numbers, but was taken down with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Taylor.

"_What's this? Taylor Wilde just tagged in Ellie Blackwood, even though she herself is not legal. Roxxi never tagged in Taylor Wilde."_

"_Who cares? It's no disqualification, right?"_

"_And another brawl ensues."_

Taylor whipped Angelina into a corner and started pummeling her. Madison grabbed Taylor by the hair and threw her across the ring. Ellie jumped in and leveled her with a clothesline. Angelina pushed away from the turnbuckles and hit Ellie in the face with a bicycle kick. Ellie went down and Angelina went for the cover. The referee, utterly confused, hesitated a little bit before he started counting.

"_Should he really be counting? Neither Ellie Blackwood or Angelina Love are legal."_

"_Well, I—oh! Roxxi just broke up the count!"_

Velvet grabbed Roxxi and, shrilling loudly, threw her out of the ring. On the way out, Roxxi captured Velvet in a headscissors, and took her with her. Taylor spotted Madison lying on the ring apron and floored her with a baseball slide kick to the outside. Angelina clotheslined Taylor over the ropes to the outside. Ellie grabbed one of her legs and tried to pull off a small package roll-up. Angelina kicked out at two.

"_Now how are we supposed to keep up with the action? There are three fights going on at once!"_

Angelina kicked Ellie off of her, and then struck her in the back of the head with a forearm shot. She cried out and grabbed her head. It definitely wasn't numb anymore. She scrambled over to the ropes and hooked one arm around them when Angelina tried to follow her, but because of the no-disqualification, it didn't do much.

Velvet drove Roxxi into the guard rails. Arrogantly, she smiled and dusted her hands off and the crowd booed. Upon turning around, she spotted Ellie lying half-way out of the ring. The referee and Angelina were arguing, so Velvet took this as a perfect opportunity to viciously kick Ellie in the side of the head. Ellie staggered away from the ropes, blinded by pain. Angelina took advantage and quickly hit the Lights Out on her.

"_Angelina Love going for the pin. This could be it! 1…2…th—woah! Taylor Wilde just pulled the referee out of the ring!"_

Roxxi struck Velvet in the back of the head before throwing her into the ring. Angelina tried to attack Roxxi, but she countered. Outside the ring, the referee was arguing with Taylor, who was shortly after blindsighted by Madison. Madison shouted at the referee and told him to get back in the ring and do his job. Roxxi laid out Angelina and dropped an elbow over Velvet. She hooked her leg just as the referee climbed back in. He started counting, but Velvet kicked out just in time.

"_Well it seems like the legal fighters are back in the game now."_

"_I doubt it'll stay that way for long."_

Taylor jumped in and dragged Ellie to the apron. Angelina and Madison retreated to their corner. Roxxi took a hold of Velvet's arm and dragged her over to her teammates.

"Who wants it?" she asked.

Ellie was on her feet by now. "Bring it here," she said, her hand over the top rope.

"You sure? You don't look a hundred percent."

"Tag me."

Fear spread over Velvet's face as quickly as Roxxi tagged in Ellie. Ellie started to work her arm over, bringing her down to her knees. Velvet started delivering shots to Ellie's midsection. She managed to work herself to her feet and kicked Ellie on the outside of her leg. She somersaulted to reverse the wrist lock before sending Ellie across the ring with an arm drag. Ellie was on her feet immediately and Velvet was holding her by the wrist again. Roxxi was right in that she wasn't a hundred percent, but she still had some old tricks up her sleeve.

_That might be fun to bring back._

Velvet slingshotted Ellie towards the turnbuckles and went after her, looking to follow up with a corner splash. When Ellie neared the corner, she ladder-climbed the turnbuckles and jumped backwards in a corkscrew dive.

"_Did you see that? What a Whisper in the Wind from Ellie Blackwood!"_

"_My god, we haven't seen that move since Jeff Hardy was still in TNA!"_

Ellie landed on Velvet and they both fell to the mat. She tried pinning her, but Velvet still kicked out at two. Ellie was exhausted, and her head throbbed painfully. The crowd could tell that the other Knockouts wanted in on the action, and were trying to get behind Ellie's team while the referee tried to prevent another all-out brawl. The broadcasters reminded the audience again that the match was no-disqualification as the crowd started chanting "Let them fight!" Ellie was on her feet and moving towards Velvet. She started to pull her up, but Velvet countered by grabbing Ellie by the hair and slamming her down with a jawbreaker. Ellie staggered away as Velvet dove towards her corner and tagged in Angelina.

Angelina entered the ring slowly, strutting over to the corner of the ring where Ellie was holding on to the ropes. She grabbed a fistful of Ellie's hair and dragged her towards the center of the ring, while signaling to the crowd that she was going to finish her off. She took Ellie by the wrist and slingshotted her into the ropes. Roxxi made the blind tag when Ellie bounced off the ropes.

"_Oh wow! Did you see THAT? Angelina Love went to finish off Ellie Blackwood with her signature bicycle kick, but Ellie countered with a bicycle kick of her own!"_

"_They're both down!"_

"_Oh wait a minute—here comes Roxxi!"_

Velvet and Madison jumped into the ring to attack Ellie while she was still down. Roxxi entered and cleared house on the both of them. She quickly tagged in Taylor and the two of them sent the Beautiful People out of the ring. They wandered back over to Angelina, who was starting to get up. Standing on either side of her, they lifted her up and threw her down over their thighs with a double rib breaker. Velvet got back in the ring and tried to attack Roxxi, but she used Velvet's momentum to send her out of the ring again. She followed and the two began brawling on the outside. Back in the ring, Taylor hit a bridging Northern Lights suplex on Angelina. The referee started counting, but Madison was in to break up the count at two. Madison retreated back to the ring apron as Taylor and Angelina started working towards their corners.

"_Do you think Velvet Sky and Roxxi have any idea what's going on?"_

"_Possibly. Ooo! Roxxi sending Sky into the guard rails before going back to her corner."_

"_A tag to Madison Rayne and a tag to Ellie Blackwood! This should be fun."_

Madison charged into the ring and aimed a forearm shot at Ellie's head. Ellie swiftly countered by bringing her leg up and catching Madison's arm behind her knee. She swung Madison around and jumped on her back, forcing her to fall forward onto her stomach. Ellie pulled Madison's head back to complete the Icepick.

"_Submission hold from Ellie Blackwood! That was an innovative way to lock it in. Props to Ellie."_

"_Oh here comes Velvet Sky. I guess she finally recovered from her brawl with Roxxi."_

Velvet jumped into the ring and kicked Ellie sharply in the back of the head. She immediately cried out and released Madison from the hold, rolling onto her side. Velvet kicked her in the ribs a few times, forcing Ellie to the apron.

"_And now Madison's in on this, and Roxxi and Taylor are now in to even the numbers."_

"_Wait a minute, what's Angelina Love doing?"_

With the distraction provided by the in-ring altercation, Angelina was able to stealth away and retrieve the can of hairspray from the outside of the ring. She got up and dove into the brawl, effectively spraying it into the faces of both her opponents.

Ellie grabbed the bottom rope with one hand while holding the back of her head together with the other. She strained to pull herself up and looked over in time to see Angelina spray something into the faces of Roxxi and Taylor. Madison was slumped in the corner with her arms over the top rope, and Taylor was on her knees and elbows in front of her. Ellie rolled into the ring as Angelina moved towards the apron to put down the can. As she turned around, she briefly caught sight of Ellie before she clotheslined her over the top rope. She turned to see that Madison and Taylor were still in the perfect set up for another one of her trick-up-her-sleeve moves. She broke into a run and jumped onto Taylor's back before leaping off of her and hitting a leg drop on Madison in the corner.

"_Was that Poetry in Motion? I think it was!"_

"_That's the second Jeff Hardy move we've seen out of Ellie Blackwood tonight! I'm starting to think they've had a history together!"_

"_Oh wouldn't that be wild."_

Ellie covered Madison for a pin, but only got two counts. Exasperated, Ellie looked around to the referee with death in her eyes. The referee backed up a few steps and held up his hands, insisting that she only got two counts. Velvet was across the ring, and used Ellie's distraction with the referee to her advantage. She hobbled over to Ellie and struck her in the back of the head with a forearm shot. Ellie immediately crumpled, but was pulled back up to her feet. Velvet tried to shoot her off into the ropes, but Ellie countered with an Irish Whip. Angelina was back on the apron and blind tagged Velvet out as she bounced off the ropes and Ellie hit her with a spinebuster. Both women collapsed.

"_Wicked spinebuster from Ellie Blackwood. She has just been on top of things ever since the match started."_

"_You'd think a head injury like the one she sustained the other day would hinder her fighting abilities, but I think it's actually driving her forward."_

"_Everyone's down right now. Man, they are just spent, and I don't blame them."_

"_Blind tag from Angelina Love. Roxxi's starting to get up."_

Roxxi looked like she was having some difficulty seeing. She was on her feet, but had one hand covering her face and was trying to use the other hand to feel around. Angelina was on her in an instant, kicking her in the gut and signaling for a finish. She hit a devastating Lights Out on Roxxi, who managed to avoid a pin attempt by rolling out of the ring.

Taylor and Velvet were back up, also. Velvet was standing by when Angelina hit the Lights Out on Roxxi. Angelina screamed in frustration and Velvet moved towards the ropes to retrieve Roxxi for her. Taylor blindsighted her, striking her with a forearm to the head. Velvet doubled over and Taylor wrapped her arms around her waist before flinging her backwards with a bridging German suplex. Neither fighters were legal, but the referee began counting regardless. The count was broken up with Madison dropkicked Taylor in her exposed ribs. Ellie leveled Madison with a superkick, and she collapsed. Ellie kicked her out of the ring. Angelina was behind her suddenly, bending her backwards and hitting her with a neckbreaker.

Adrenaline didn't seem to be doing much for her right now. Ellie was lying on the ring canvas, completely spent. She figured that if her body pumped out any more adrenaline, she'd OD and die right there. Her teammates were hurting. She was hurting. The Beautiful People were relentless.

_But then again…so am I. Aren't I?_

Angelina had made her way to the top turnbuckle and was crouching up top, looking to hit some high-risk move on Ellie. Roxxi was back up and stumbling towards the corner. While Angelina was situating herself on the top, Roxxi grabbed one of her ankles and pulled. Angelina fell into a sitting position on the turnbuckle and managed to kick Roxxi away. Ellie was beginning to stand, so Angelina reached over and grabbed a handful of her hair. Ellie gave a small yelp and swiped Angelina's hands away from her. She quickly turned around and leaped into the air, effectively kicking Angelina in the side of the head.

"_This could be the opening that Ellie Blackwood needs!"_

Ellie was holding the back of her head again. It was throbbing with one of the worst pains she ever felt. And right now, she did not care one bit. She stood up and faced the ring, backing up into the corner where Angelina was still sitting, dazed and nearly limp. Ellie reached back and heaved her legs onto her shoulders. A little more shifting around, and Ellie pushed away from the corner.

"_This could be it!"_

Velvet and Madison were on their feet. Roxxi and Taylor held them off with a dropkick each, clearing the ring for Ellie to take a few more steps before she and Angelina came crashing down with an Icebreaker. A surreal exhilaration washed over her as she painfully rolled over her opponent.

"_Interesting that she chose to use the Icebreaker this time. She probably opted that over the Wing Crusher because of her head injury."_

_1!..._

Ellie was semi-lying on top of Angelina, one leg hooked with both arms.

_2!..._

Her heart skipped a few beats. Time slowed down. A bead of sweat ran down her face. The referee raised his arm again.

…_3!_

The bell rung, and time resumed a normal pace. Ellie released Angelina's leg, but otherwise didn't move. The fans were downright ecstatic. She was still. It was starting to sink in. Her quest was over. The one goal she wanted to achieve since coming to TNA, the main reason she was a Knockout in the first place…she had just achieved it. And now she had to hold to her promise. This was it for her.

_What…?_ she thought. _That's it? It's over? It can't be over…_

But at the same time, she had to admit she was…relieved.

Suddenly, Roxxi and Taylor were on her, hugging her and cheering, pulling her to her feet. From the outside, Velvet and Madison dragged Angelina out of the ring and slunked away in defeat. They all stood side by side and held up their arms victoriously. Ellie was still stunned, and let her tag team partners move her to their will. Even after Roxxi and Taylor released her wrists, Ellie continued to stand there with her arms in the air. Only when Taylor tapped her on the shoulder did she jump slightly and lower her arms.

"You okay, kid?" Roxxi asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Ellie smirked. "It's still sinking in."

"That was a hell of a fight!" Taylor said, excited. "Can't believe we won."

"Seriously. How's your head?"

"Hurts," Ellie replied. "But who the hell cares? We won!"

The words still felt strange, even as they came out of her mouth. She just couldn't shake the thought from her mind:

_It's over._

.xXx.

"There's nothing to feel bad about," she said to herself. "They all knew you were leaving. No one's…_not_ expecting this from you. You promised Christian, you promised yourself. This…this is it. You did what you said you were going to. No one can get mad at you for that."

She was lying on the couch in her dressing room. A few days ago, she had pinned Angelina Love in the match that ended her TNA career.

"Except maybe yourself," she muttered.

She doubted most people knew she was still here, but at the same time, it wasn't like she expected everyone to think that she had already headed out back to the WWE. She sat up and looked around the room. She hadn't done much packing yet, so for the most part, her dressing room still felt like…well, hers. Cleaning out everything that belonged to her would hurt a little, she knew that, which was probably part of the reason she had been putting it off so much.

Her laptop was still sitting on her make-up desk, turned on. She went over to it and opened the window with her email. She kept half-expecting to see another message there from Jim or Dixie, telling her that she had another match next week. She kept half-expecting to see a message from one of her coworkers asking if she wanted to hang out sometime. She kept half-expecting to see everything else she had come to anticipate since coming to TNA eight months ago. But her inbox held no new messages.

"This is going to take some getting used to."

_How could I have gotten so attached to this place in such a short amount of time? Well, actually eight months isn't…um, short. But uh…_

"Holy crap," she breathed. "It took _eight months_ to get my match with Angelina and Velvet?" She paused, thinking. "Well, I guess leaving now is less of a dick thing to do than to leave after being here for a few weeks instead."

But still. She was leaving, at that seemed like a dick thing to do in general.

"_What_? No it's not! You already told yourself, Elle, no one is not expecting this from you. You just…go ahead and do what you have to."

She started pulling open drawers and throwing her clothes and outfits onto the couch. She would pause after pulling out each individual ring outfit, muse to herself and thumbing the material, recalling every match she had while wearing that particular outfit, and everything that surrounded the events. As she continued to throw clothes onto the couch, her mind would drift to her coworkers and the many people she had come to know and love here. How she met Christian, how she became friends with AJ, how excited she was when she met Roxxi, how relieved she was to have other friends like Christy, Taylor, and the Frontline.

_I'm going to miss them._

She went back to her make-up desk to start putting away her accessories and cosmetics. Her instant messaging window was open, so she quickly scanned through the list of people who were online. A few of her TNA coworkers were online, and so were some of her WWE friends. Christian was included. She deliberated with herself if she wanted to tell him she was coming soon or if she would rather just surprise him. She eventually decided neither, and instead put up an away message that simply read "Packing." He'd probably get the idea.

She dragged her duffle bag and a carry-on bag out of the closet. Initially, she hadn't brought much with her into TNA. Over the past eight months though, she seemed to have accumulated more items. But she still had no doubt that she'd be able to fit all of her belongings into her one duffle bag.

_That's it? My whole career can fit into one small bag. That's kind of…that's kind of sad._

There was a pile on the TV table of tapes she had obtained from the production trailer. Most of them were recorded matches of her past opponents that she had used to study up on in hopes of gaining an advantage. The tape on the top of the pile had an adhesive masking tape label on it that simply read "E, R &T vs. BP." She had gotten that shortly after the match, and had spent a great deal of time since then just watching the match over and over. She thought it would help the matter to sink in.

She looked so dazed on the tape. When the referee counted to three and she rolled off of Angelina, she looked so blank and confused. It almost irritated her that she was letting it bother her this much. Watching herself wrestle her last match in TNA _was_ a little disheartening, she had to admit. But at least she won.

It suddenly occurred to her that she never actually officially quit. She just kind of assumed that everyone knew that she wasn't going to work here anymore since winning the 6-Knockout tag team match, which she had _only_ been talking about since she got here. But she knew Jim wasn't going to take that as a legitimate excuse. She needed to go talk to him.

She looked around her dressing room. Everything had been taken out of the closets and drawers and was now organized into various piles around the room. She had barely begun to start actually packing things up.

"Hmm," she mused. "I can do that after I talk to Jim. That really is kind of more important."

The halls were relatively empty. Tapings for Impact were done until next week. Undoubtedly most of the wrestlers had gone home. The only people she saw now were mostly behind-the-scenes workers. Editors, writers, production crew…the likes. She ran in to a couple wrestlers who were probably staying behind to help the creative team with scheduling, or taking the time to do a little in-ring training. None of them were people she was really close to, so she didn't stop to talk.

Though the news of her planning to leave had been circulating since her arrival, and undoubtedly Jim had heard it, she didn't think he would be expecting her. It wasn't like she had scheduled an appointment or anything. So it didn't surprise her much when the door to his office was locked and voices were coming from the inside.

Ellie leaned up against the wall next to the office door. Involuntarily, she began to lean towards it, straining to listen to the voices. It seemed like Cornette was talking (rather loudly) to someone. The other person wasn't being given much opportunity to talk, so for the time being, Ellie didn't know who it was.

"Since Christian Cage left, application have been pouring in from all around the country looking to fill his spot," came Cornette's voice. He sounded like he was shuffling a mass of papers to prove it.

"Well, he was a very talented athlete, and I'm sure his spot will be a difficult one to fill," said the other person. It sounded like Traci Brooks' voice. "But did you have anyone in mind for his replacement?"

"I've been looking through all these résumés, and I think I've found one," he replied. "His name's Stevie Richards, and I think he'd be a good asset. I might try to start him off with Abyss. Richards says he also studies psychology, and well, Abyss has some problems, we know that. I'll run it through with management first and then have someone contact him later."

Well. Christian was being replaced, just like that. It was a bit disheartening. She wondered, as she knocked on Cornette's door, if she would be treated similarly.

More paper shuffling.

"Come in!"

Ellie gave him about a second or two before pushing the door open. Traci was across from Cornette, who was at his desk, shuffling together a good sized stack of résumés and applications. He was pushing the stack into a corner of his cluttered desk when he looked up at her, and his flustered expression turned somewhat surprised.

"Ellie, I'm a little busy right now, can this wait until later?" he asked, exasperated, busying himself with more papers.

She shrugged. "I guess so, but by 'later,' I might not be here," she replied. Cornette looked up at her. "I just think you'd like to know why first."

Cornette was silent for a few seconds. He looked to Traci. "Did her agent…?" he asked quietly. Traci shook her head. He looked confused. "Well…well of course I would!" he said, standing up. "What the hell do you _mean_ you might not be here? I haven't gotten any calls from your agent saying that you'll be missing work."

She took a deep breath. "I'm asking you to grant me my release."

"_Release?"_ he repeated instantly, nearly yelling now. "What—why—?" Red-faced, he jabbed his finger at her. "_You_ signed a contract."

"Jim, I'm asking for my release. That frees me of any contractual obligations, does it not?" she replied. "As for why, well, don't tell me you haven't heard it yet. I'm sure _everyone's_ heard by now that I only came here so I could teach the Beautiful People a lesson. And I did."

"Wait—."

"Plus," she continued, interrupting him, "right now, I'm involuntarily stuck in the middle of this stupid war that's going on between the Main Event Mafia and the Frontline. I've already dealt with the Mafia's crap multiple times, and I'm not even on a side! Frankly, I'm tired of it. I'd rather not have to be a part of this war anymore if I can help it. So I'm planning to go back to the WWE."

Cornette stared at her. "The WWE."

"Yep," Ellie said. "I've already forewarned Vince, so he should be contacting either you or Dixie sometime soon to arrange my transfer. But don't get me wrong, I love TNA, I really enjoyed it here. So once my WWE contract expires and this dumb war blows over, hey, I might come back. Why not?"

Cornette looked like he wanted to say something, but instead he slumped down into his chair, gripping the armrests tightly and still red-faced. Traci was still standing in the corner of the room. She looked back and forth from Ellie to Cornette, trying to decide what to do. It didn't look like Cornette was going to do anything, so she walked over to Ellie and put a hand on her arm.

"The door will always be open for you, hon," she said.

"Thank you, Traci," Ellie replied. "Jim," she added, nodding her head towards him. He wordlessly waved her off, so she left.

So it was done. Her fight was won, and the war on her part was over. Despite having made so many friends here, despite TNA having grown on her, she had to admit that she was eager to go back to the WWE and see all of her old friends again. It was funny how she had known most of those people already, like Christian, Christy, or Gail, but never really thought much of them until after they all went to TNA.

Ellie had just closed Cornette's door when she heard him speak up again.

"Great!" he near-shouted. "Now we've got to find a replacement for _her,_ too!"

She grinned slightly, feeling just a bit smug and accomplished, and headed off to her dressing room to finish clearing out. She didn't have that much left to do, but once she got back to her dressing room, she found herself packing with deliberate slowness, as if to savor her last TNA moments. Once she caught herself doing this, she snapped herself out of this pace and adopted a slightly faster one. She had the weight of the world on her shoulders, slowing her down. She tried to shake it off, but couldn't completely rid herself of it.

And then suddenly, she was done. The closet and her drawers were empty, the tables and desks were bare. She had turned off her laptop and put it in its carrying bag, now resting on top of her zippered-closed duffle bag over by the door. The pile of tapes was still where it was, but the one labeled "E, R &T vs. BP" was somewhere in her carry-on. She stood where she was for a while, wondering if she needed to take care of anything else. While rummaging through the drawers of her make-up desk for forgotten items, she came across a post-it pad and a pen. She pulled it out and thought for a minute, and then removed three sheets from the pad. On the back, she wrote "Thanks for everything. –Ellie B." and her instant messaging screenname. On the front she addressed a note to each AJ Styles, Roxxi, and Taylor Wilde. She wanted to leave a note to some more people, but figured the word would spread and that the others would get the note as well.

She exited her room and closed the door. At this point, she had elected not to tell anyone she was leaving—just like Christian had when he left TNA. She figured that either Cornette or Traci would tell the others, or the word would get out somehow like it usually does, and everyone would know by tomorrow that Ellie Blackwood was gone.

Either AJ, Taylor, and Roxxi had gone home, were out, or were in their dressing rooms, because she didn't run in to them on her way out. It was the way she wanted it. She knew the way to the parking lot, but took a quick detour to leave the notes on their respective owners' dressing room doors. Putting the notes on the door and then walking away wordlessly hurt just a little bit.

Ellie got the feeling that when she was back in her dressing room writing the notes, she took the pen with her. It wasn't a really big deal, but she didn't really need it. She started digging through her carry-on bag, wondering where the hell she put it and muttering quietly to herself. She rounded corner and almost bumped in to someone, but sidestepped him out of the peripheral of her vision, muttered a quick "Excuse me," and then continued on. She got about three feet away from him before he said:

"Where you goin', Elle?" She froze upon recognizing the voice. "Thought you'd want to be a part of the carnage. Or does it cramp your style?"

No one could use her own words against her like he could, and she immediately knew who it was. She was filled with apprehension and a strange, tingling pain as she slowly zipped up her carry-on, placed it back over her shoulder, and turned around.

"My part in this is done, Sting," she answered. He started taking slow, deliberate steps towards her, but she held her ground. "I came here for one reason, and it's done with."

"Did it work?" Sting asked. "You came here to teach a lesson to Angelina and Velvet, right? But did it work? Did they get the message? Did they change their ways? How can you know for sure?" Ellie set down her bags. Sting shifted his weight. "When I came back to TNA to teach the younger generations about respect, I knew that they'd be stubborn about it, and wouldn't listen to me, as kids today usually do, and I knew that I'd be stuck here for a while in order to get the message through to them, and I knew I couldn't do it alone. And just like you said, they're not exactly picking up on it, so I guess I'm stuck here for as long as I see fit, just so I'm absolutely _sure_ that they've gotten my point through to them before I go back into retirement. And I'm ready for it."

Ellie considered this. "I know," she said, finally. "But I had no real intention on staying here in the first place. I just wanted to fight Angelina and Velvet, and I did. But I can't just stay here and bitch at just two or three specific individuals all the time. If they don't listen to me, what's _that_ going to do for me then? What you're doing, Sting, if you pull through, then you just might be able to impact _everyone_. You're actually doing something beneficial. I had a bone to pick with two people, so I picked it. If I just single out two specific people for the rest of my career, I'll come off as some boring, crazy jerk."

Sting held out his hands. "What, you don't think people don't call _me_ a crazy jerk? I've heard it all, trust me. You've just got to stick to it."

"I'm _done_ here, Sting," Ellie insisted. "I might come back when my WWE contract expires. I might even see you guys before that happens, I don't know."

"So that's it? You're just going to leave, to run away?" Sting said.

Ellie crossed her arms. "I'm not running away."

"Could have had me fooled."

She sighed. "What's the matter, Sting?" she bitterly inquired. "I thought you'd be happy to see me go. We didn't exactly get along very well while I was here."

"Didn't get along very well? After all I did for you? I didn't _have_ to do all that, you know."

She shrugged. "Then why did you? What's the matter?"

Sting glanced towards the ground briefly. "Actually, I was hoping that we could make amends before you go."

This had taken her off guard. The fury and hate, the resent and doubt she had held towards him…all of it was gone. She was suddenly apprehensive and hesitant, and could only stare at him blankly.

"Really," she managed.

"Yes, really," he replied, nonchalant. "But you otherwise don't seem interested, so I guess I'll leave you and you can go run back to the WWE like you want. Enjoy the rest of your career, and I'll see you in a few years. Maybe not." He turned to leave.

"No—wait!" She reached out towards him involuntarily. When she caught herself, she immediately drew back her hand. Sting took a few more steps and then stopped. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and slowly turned around. She swallowed thickly and racked her brain for something to say.

"You're right," she said. "We started off on the wrong foot."

"You can thank Kurt for that," he said. "He saw the hate between us and used that to fuel the Mafia/Frontline war. It was all he cared about it. I tried to tell him off, but you know, when he sets his mind to something, there's no stopping him."

She paused and deliberated. It was beginning to make sense. "That certainly explains some things," she said. "And now that you've made me think about it, I also would really hate it if we ended on bad terms. But I've got to tell you something. All that crap I talked you down with was true. I don't think you're making progress, and your method of approach is no way to drive the point home."

He held up one hand and shrugged. "It would seem that way. Fair enough."

"But there is one thing I said that wasn't true."

"Oh?"

A pause.

"I do respect you," she said. "When I told you that I didn't, I said that out of the heat of the moment and in defense on behalf of the Frontline. But you're actually one of the only men I most admire in this business."

Sting was silent for a bit.

"You know, Elle," he said, "you're a pretty interesting person yourself. You know why I saved you? Why I did all that for you?"

She waited for an answer. After a few long seconds, she quickly shook her head.

He smirked. "I respect you, too. I think you _are_ a respectable and a good person, and I don't think you deserved all that crap you were getting from the Mafia. I was hoping that the little things I did for you would help you realize that, but god knows you're so dense you probably wouldn't know it even if I outright told you myself." She started to say something, but he cut her off. "If there's one thing I like about the younger generation, it's all your energy. And Elle, you're just full of it. I really admire that. Take that with you when you go to the WWE."

She smiled genuinely. "I will. Thanks for everything."

"It's been my pleasure."

She offered her hand to him. "See you in a few years, Sting."

He placed his hand in hers. "I look forward to it."

A handshake lead to mutual pats on the back. The physical closeness between them was comforting, and the newly formed emotional closeness was heartfelt. It felt _right_, and in a way she never thought possible, she knew she was going to miss him. It was strange, but she wouldn't have wanted this moment to be any different.

And that was it. There was nothing more to say. As they started to walk their separate ways, they retained eye contact as their hands slid out of each other's. A few more seconds of silent appreciation and staring, Sting finally turned away and walked off. Ellie stayed where she was for just a bit longer, watching him go. She had already, prior to this, made a mental note to herself to continue watching TNA to keep up with everyone she had befriended, but now thought that she would look forward to seeing Sting…almost the most. It was a weird feeling, as good as it felt.

She picked up her bags and threw them over her shoulder. She pulled her car keys out of her pocket and she exited the building and crossed the parking lot to her car. With the push of a button, the door unlocked and she threw her things into the backseat. As she moved to open the driver's side door, she paused. Looking back at the Impact Zone, she wondered if what she was doing, not even being decent enough to tell anyone that she was leaving, was a dick thing to do.

She smiled. "They'll forgive me."

She got in her car and drove off.

Somehow, she was sure of it.

End Chapter 14

Whoo! That's it. The last real chapter. I will be posting an epilogue, and again, I apologize for the lateness of this update.  
haha, how did you all like my JeffxEllie used-to-train-together references? I thought it was cute.  
I gotta tell you. Above anything else I came up with, the ElliexSting friendship was my favorite part of the whole story. Sting is just a sweet, old man, and Ellie's a vivacious, energetic woman. You put them together, and they clash at first, but you've gotta love it when you _know_ they respect each other, even when they won't admit it. So the final scene at the end of this chapter was just so warming and fun to write for me.  
I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Thank you dearly for sticking with me through this whole ordeal. You guys are the best. Keep checking back for the epilogue, which is unsurprisingly filled with Christian.  
Reviews, please!


	15. Epilogue

**10.26.10 EDIT **changed Ellie's WWE contract from a three-year to a two-year. this is going to be crucial in the Vindictive Angels sequel.  
Sorry for the massive delay on updates. I've been dealing with a lot lately, trying to get myself situated for the jump to college and whatnot. Thanks for sticking with me!  
**Warnings:** THE END! Brace yourself for some fluff towards the end. Mild violence and language.  
**Disclaimers:** I don't own nor am I in any way affiliated/associated with TNA or WWE. I own Ellie and this story, however.  
**Note:** there will be a moment of weirdness between Ellie and someone she worked with during her WWE days. There's a lot of ambiguous tension between them that's hinted at but not explained. You will find out what happened between them in VA's prequel.  
**Note II:** yes! There will be a prequel (called "Demonic Angels"). It'll be about Ellie and how she got her wrestling start and her experiences in the WWE. Keep an eye out for it, don't forget to read/review!  
**Reviews and Critique:** yes please!  
Enjoy!

**Epilogue**

Soon after leaving TNA, Ellie flew back to WWE headquarters in Connecticut. The chairman, Vince McMahon, wasn't too happy about her back-and-forth between the companies, even though she argued that she was only gone for less than a year. Just the mere fact that Ellie had ever been associated with TNA, WWE's arch-rival, somewhat put her on Vince's bad side. And yet, she had no regrets. She knew what she was getting herself into when she transferred to TNA, what she would have to face when she returned to WWE. The memories and experiences gained from her time in TNA was well worth being put in the dog house.

It was late April 2009. The creative team was finalizing lists for the Superstar Draft that was supposed to take place within the next week or so. Her timing made it slightly more difficult when deciding which brand she was to be placed on. They didn't know whether to put her on a brand and then draft her, or to just put her somewhere after the draft was over. Vince, Ellie, and the General Managers all got together on a non-taping day and collaborated on an idea. They all mutually decided to make her return independent of the draft. The first idea that was formulated was to send her back to Raw, the brand she had been on when she left the WWE. Raw's popularity and high ratings, they said, might be able to help her re-debut and establish herself as a Diva again. Ellie declined, saying that she wanted to experience something new. Smackdown was brought up, and again she declined. She had experience with Smackdown during her initial WWE days that was less than pleasant, and decided that she didn't want to go through that again.

Turns out her only remaining option was to go to ECW. Conveniently, that's where Christian was. She didn't know if she turned down Raw and Smackdown on purpose or not, if she unconciously elected to go to ECW just because _he_ was there. She didn't know, but she was pretty sure it was because she wanted to try something new. Christian just happened to be on ECW.

ECW recently aquired the GM services of former Diva Tiffany. ECW's previous GM, Teddy Long, had been sent to Smackdown. After Ellie's decision was made, the meeting was adjourned. Ellie was told to rest up for the week and then fly out to the new arena the following Tuesday for ECW tapings. She herself wasn't going to be on TV, but she had to be backstage to meet with Tiffany to discuss her new contract.

Headquarters was unfamiliar. She had only been here a handful of times. There was no one she recognized—it wasn't like she could expect wrestlers to be seen wandering around WWE headquarters when they had no business there. But still, being here in this umfamiliar environment and this unfamiliar state brought back the memories. And for a moment, she wondered if she _should_ go to Smackdown.

Back at her hotel, she reconsidered. She had brought out her laptop and was currently surfing WWE's website. From observing the active rosters of each of the three brands, it was quickly obvious that ECW had the fewest number of Divas, given that it was WWE's smallest and least-watched show. But she had a reputation as Lina Lavigne of bringing a lot of flavor to the party, and figured that she could help to spice up ECW and change the way people looked at the Divas division. Though achieving that singlehandedly was a difficult feat to accomplish. Since there were so few Divas on ECW, they rarely got an in-ring action, and were often seen as valets for Superstars. She figured that she could help the Divas division gain more TV time by adding to the number of active Divas. After all, not fighting was her least favorite thing to do.

She watched TNA that week. Nothing really seemed to change that much. The Beautiful People came down to the ring and revealed that Ellie had left. Despite what happened the previous week, they claimed that Ellie had left because she was afraid of them. Taylor and Roxxi made a point of reminding them that Ellie was the one that scored the win for their team. The Beautiful People remained defiant, but they bailed when Roxxi and Taylor jumped in to the ring and tried to start a fight. Ellie kept her IM status as "Online" almost constantly after that.

She needed to tell them "thanks" again.

**.xXx.**

No one in the WWE knew she was coming back. Most people in TNA didn't even know she left until the Beautifl People blabbed it on that week's Impact. She figured that if anyone here watched TNA, then they might be able to figure out that Ellie was returning. But she doubted it. Not that it bothered her, though. Returning on a low note always made for a much more surprising return.

It was a week later, on a Tuesday. ECW and Smackdown tapings were going to take place today. Last night, Raw hosted the three-hour draft, and many Superstars and Divas got moved around from brand to brand. Christian stayed on ECW. In a way, she was glad.

"How are you doing today?"

She was in Tiffany's office. It took her some time to get used to the WWE backstage configuration again, and took her even longer to find the office. She blew her surprise return by asking people for directions. She figured she still had a chance to make an impact, though.

"Pretty well," Ellie replied. "How did you get roped in to this GM thing?"

"I've been interning for Teddy for a while, up until he went to Smackdown," Tiffany replied. "I actually kind of like it, being a GM."

"Don't you miss in-ring competition?"

"A little, yes," she admitted. "I might go back to it somewhere along down the road. But right now, I'm comfortable where I am."

They were sitting on couches opposite each other. It wasn't so much of an office as it was a lounge room, really. WWE wasn't able to establish actuall offices since they were constantly on tour. TNA did all their tapings in Orlando, which made it easier to create an on-screen corporate feel. This was definitely going to take some re-getting used to.

"It's good to have you back," Tiffany said, smiling. "I'm sure the fans will be pleased."

"It's good to be back," Ellie said. "Still getting used to being a Diva again, though. Not sure why, I really wasn't even gone for that long."

"It's completely understandable. How was TNA?"

Ellie laughed softly. "Unreal."

"Well, I'm glad you had fun, but now we have to get down to business," Tiffany said. "Do you have your file?"

"Yeah, hang on," Ellie replied. She pulled her duffle bag closer to the couch and got her file out of it. "It's mostly my WWE stuff, but has a little TNA in it." She handed it to Tiffany.

Tiffany started shuffling through it, nodding slightly to herself. "Okay, this'll do it." She looked up. "I figure we can start you out with something small, in regards to contracts. Looks like we had you on a five-year contract last time, and you left after three. TNA also had you on a five-year, and you left after eight months. Maybe you don't like five-years?"

Ellie forced a laugh.

"I still want to sign you to a multi-year contract though, unless you'd rather be paid per appearance."

"I think multi-year would make for a more stable income."

"So I was thinking something small, like a two-year?" Tiffany suggested. "You would signed to ECW exclusively and paid steadily even when you're not making appearances. In regards to pay-per-views, you would be paid per appearance. You'll be able to work for other independent promotions if you choose, though your appearances will be slightly limited. Your contract also states that you have to attend house shows when called for. House show appearances are included in your weekly pay."

"That sounds…pretty good," Ellie said. All of the business and straightforwardness almost made this seem unappealing. But considering the short amount of time Tiffany's been general manager, Ellie had to admit that she was pretty good at it. Though if that was a good thing or a bad thing, she wasn't quite sure.

"Will you be taking on your old WWE name?"

"Oh, you mean Lina Lavigne?" Ellie said. "I—maybe…well, I don't know. What about my TNA name? Ellie Blackwood?"

"Well, I'm looking through your file, and it looks like TNA did to you what WWE did to Chyna," Tiffany said.

Ellie scrutinized her. "What do you mean?"

"It seems now that the name Ellie Blackwood is a trademarked TNA name."

There was a heavy pause.

"They trademarked my _name?_"

"They have the right to do that," Tiffany said. "I don't know exactly what happened while you were in TNA, but my guess is that you were such a popular Superstar that after you left, they copyrighted your name so they could continue to make money off of it. WWE did the same thing to Chyna in 2001."

As she recalled, Chyna got around the issue by having her name legally changed to Chyna. Ellie couldn't say that she was as attatched to her old name as _that_.

"So if you still want to be Ellie Blackwood, you'll have to to back to TNA," Tifanny continued. "If you don't want to be Lina Lavigne anymore, feel free to pick a new ring name for yourself if you choose. Just keep in mind that Lina is how the fans remember you. I'm sure they'd rather see her again more than someone else."

Ellie smiled slightly. "I have nothing against Lina. I guess if the fans want, then the fans get."

"Awesome," Tiffany said. "If you'll just sign this…"

She handed a clipboard to her. Attatched to the board was Ellie's new contract. She stared at it for a few seconds, not really reading it, but trying to absorb it all in again. She took the pen that was clipped on to the board, and then signed on the dotted line on the bottom. She signed it as Lina Lavigne. The signature looked strange, given that she hadn't had reason to use it lately. She grimmaced.

"And you're officially a Diva again," Tiffany said. "How does it feel?"

Ellie sighed. "Weird. Yet, familiar."

"I'll have a match for you next week, so you're free to go for today."

"But I can still hang around, right?"

"Hmm? Oh, of course! You're an ECW employee now, roam around all you want," Tiffany said. "ECW tapings are currently taking place, so stay hidden from the cameras, otherwise your return next week won't be much of a surprise."

"But it would be a surprise this week," Ellie pointed out. Tiffany looked apprehensive.

"I can direct you to the Divas' lockerroom if you need to put your things somewhere," she said.

"No, I think I saw it on my way over. Thanks though," Ellie replied.

"Of course," she said. "Listen, I have to kick you out now. I'm due in the ring soon. Need to present a championship contract and whatnot."

"Oh, no problem."

"Great, I'll see you next week then."

"Next week."

Tiffany grabbed another clipboard with the ECW Championship contract on it before the two of them exited the room. Tiffany took off towards the ring in something of a rush, leaving Ellie alone by herself in almost unfamiliar territory. She wanted to put her duffle bag down somewhere and doubted she still had a dressing room. She used to be relatively big-name and popular during her WWE days. Being forced to resort to the general Divas' lockerroom seemed like a bit of a downgrade.

She was walking down the hallway of backstage WWE. It reminded her so much of her first day in TNA, it hadn't occurred to her before how much she would miss everyone there. AJ, Roxxi, Taylor…

Sting…

She had told Sting that she might return to TNA once her WWE contract was over, but had she meant it? She certainly missed TNA, but the frequent back-and-forth between the rival companies might put her on the bad side of both Jim _and_ Vince. TNA was nice, but she didn't know if she wanted to risk her career over it. It would probably be best to stay in WWE for the full two years and then see where things went from there.

There were many familiar faces, and lots of new stars. She remembered all of the familiar ones. The new ones she recognized from watching WWE programing. They seemed to aknowledge her for the most part. Some didn't recognize her, and thus glanced at her as she passed them. Others did recognize her, and stared at her with incredulity.

"I thought she was gone…" one wrestler whispered to another. Ellie barely caught it. It made her smile a little.

She wasn't paying much attention to the people around her. Most of them seemed to be in a rush for ECW tapings, or just arriving for Smackdown ones. There would be time to socialize later.

"Lina? Lina, is that you?"

Or…maybe not.

It took her a few seconds to realize that whoever spoke was talking to her. Apparently she still wasn't used to that name. She turned around, confused at first, but the confusion quickly dissipated. Standing behind her were two smiling identical twins.

Ellie paused, hunching her eyebrows. "Brie?"

"No, I'm Nikki. That's Brie," she said. "What are you doing here? I thought you left."

"I did. But now I'm back and I'm here to stay."

"Well it's great to see you again," said Brie. "What brand?"

"ECW, it looks like," Ellie replied.

"Oh, I wish we could stick around to hang with you," said Brie, "but the draft was last night. We're going to Raw. We're all still here because the draft doesn't go into effect until next week."

"I thought you liked TNA. That's what everyone said," Nikki said. "So how come you're _here?_ Did you come back for _Christian?_"

Ellie almost cringed, yet couldn't help but smile. She figured that the Bella Twins had been in on her friendship with Christian from watching her on TNA.

_It's finally coming back to bite me in the butt, is it?_

"No, as a matter of fact, I didn't," Ellie stated.

The twins grinned at each other and shrugged. "If you say so. See you later, Lina." They smirked a little and then passed her by. Ellie was a bit confused. She shrugged it off after a few seconds and started towards the lockerrooms again.

"Oh by the way, Lina," said Brie. She turned around. "If you _were_ wondering where he is, which I'm sure you're _not_, he's in the ring with Jack." She turned back around and the two of them disappeared down the hall. Ellie looked wary.

_Jack? Jack Swagger?_ she thought. _That can't be good._

She quickly found the lockerrooms. There were no actual lockers; the room was small with a continuous narrow table going around three of the walls. The other Divas' bags were on top of and underneath the table. Ellie cleared off a spot and threw her bags down. It probably wasn't a big deal that the luggage tag on her duffle bag was still blank, but by the same token, it was also probably a good idea to put a name to her things. After a little searching, she found a Sharpie. She quickly wrote "Lina Lavigne" on the tag.

The name still felt strange.

She exited the lockerroom with the intent of making her way towards the ring. She technically wasn't supposed to be appearing on television until next week, and WWE didn't do the live-circuit TV thing right outside the wrestler's entrance like TNA did. But if anything, she figured she could sit there and wait for Christian. It would be a nice surprise, she figured.

"Now, which way did Tiffany go?" she mused. "I left her office, and we went separate ways…So the ring must be down the other way."

She turned around and started walking, but almost collided with a taller man in her haste. She started to quickly apologize, aiming to sidestep him and continue on, but froze when she looked up and saw who it was. Suddenly, getting to the ring was the least of her worries.

John Morrison was still recovering from the collision, brushing hair out of his face. He fixed his eyes on her and cocked his head. He seemed surprised to see her, and frankly, _she_ was surprised he would be seen without The Miz tailing him.

"Lina?" he said, taking off his rhinestone studded sunglasses as if to look at her better. "No, my eyes do not deceive me. Li_na_, lookin' good. What uh…what are you doing here?" He leaned against the wall.

Back during her initial WWE days, she had been on Raw with John Morrison. A lot of unpleasentness happened. She was uncomfortable and quickly becoming anxious, but decided to humor him.

"Same reason you're here, I'm sure."

"Well not for long, if you're talking about wrestling in ECW," John said, leaning up against the wall. "I got drafted to Smackdown."

She laughed once. "Well, I hope you have more fun on Smackdown than I did." She paused, looking around. "So, uh…where's Miz? I didn't think either of you would be seen without the other."

"Miz is going to Raw," John answered. "But honestly? I could care less about what happens to him."

"Uh oh, I'm not going to ask," she said. "Oh, plus? I just saw Nikki and Brie back there, again without you two hanging on their arms. A lot's changed since I last watched WWE, hasn't it?"

"Depends on when you stopped watching," he answered, simply. "And you know what? I don't need them either. If they'd rather spend their time hanging around Colons with bad hair instead of with me, that's their loss." He threw open his jacket a little.

"And what a terrible loss it is," Ellie said, starting to scootch around him. "Primo and Carlito _Colón_ must be so unhappy right now." She laughed. "Well, it was nice seeing you again, John, but I really should be going. But have fun in Smackd—."

He threw his hand out against the wall in front of her, effectively cutting her off. "Where you goin'? I thought you'd want to stay and catch up."

"Woah, okay, _no_," she said. "After what you did to me on Raw, you really think I'd want to catch up with _you_?"

"Hey, all I know is that back then, you hated Edge more than you hated me, and you made amends with _him_."

"Yes, and look what happened. That's just every reason not to do it again, and especially not with you," Ellie said. "Been there, done that, life goes on, you know?" John looked like he was going to say something, but she cut him off. "Listen, I'm kind of in a hurry—."

"Which is?"

"Well, Christian's in the ring with Swagger, so—."

"_Christian?_" He paused and scrunched his face, like he was surprised that she would be going after him.

"It's not what you think," she said, hastily.

"It's nothing life-threatening, if that's what you're worried about," John replied, ignoring her last sentence. "It's just an ECW Championship contract signing."

_Christian's the challenger? I didn't know that…_she thought.

"You know, that's actually just as bad," she said. "And oh, hey, it seems that you're blocking my path to the ring."

"We have a lot of catching up to do," he said. "I want to make up for what I did to you on Raw a few years back."

She flinched. But what could she do? He was blocking her only path to the ring and was bent on keeping her from reaching Christian. With any luck, Jack and Christian were only trash talking each other right now. but she knew that it wouldn't stay that way for very much longer. She knew what they both were like. Swagger was the current ECW champion, and was very posessive and defensive of his title. Christian was arrogant and conceited. There was no way that this _wasn't_ going to end in fistcuffs.

But then again…the wrestler's entrance wasn't the only way to get to the ring.

"Some other time, John, but I really have to go," she said with a smile. With that being said, she turned on foot and sprinted down the opposite direction as John looked on, slightly confused and offended. How had she not remembered this sooner? There was _always_ more than one way to the ring.

She soon came across an interview set. There was a live-circuit TV set up against the wall, which she was rather surprised to see. Teddy Long was standing in front of it, watching the contract signing. She quickly jogged over to him.

"Teddy! What's going on?" she asked.

"Lina, what a pleasant surprise," Teddy replied. "I didn't think we were going to see you again until next week."

"Well, it just so happens I decided to stick around a little bit longer," Ellie said. "So what's up?"

"Nothing too exciting," he answered. "But to be honest? I'm kind of hoping it'll stay that way."

"I hear you," she agreed.

Christian and Jack were sitting at a table that had been placed inside the ring. Tiffany had since presented the ECW Championship contract to them and explained the terms. The two men had signed it wordlessly and were now glaring at each other while the contract sat on the table between them. Briefly, Christian glanced at the ECW title belt, propped upright by the edge of the table. Tiffany took the contract and exited the ring.

Christian was unusually silent, staring intently at Jack with his hands folded together in front of him. Jack was just as confused as Ellie was, and decided to take it upon himself to end the silence. He picked up a microphone and began to condescend him, asking him why he wasn't talking. No smart remarks, no lame jokes, why he's not taking shots at him…

"I think I should go," Ellie said, as she started to jog away.

"Oh, um…okay," Teddy said. "See you next week, then."

Christian was silent for a while. Then without taking his eyes off of Jack, he reached over and picked up a microphone. He said that he was focused on the match. He said it would be too easy to make fun of Jack's lisp or his dumb haircut, and that he would rather concentrate on the match and focus on winning the ECW title at the Backlash pay-per-view.

"_Woah! Did you see that?"_ asked Josh Matthews. _"Jack Swagger just threw the ECW title belt right into the face of Christian!"_

Christian furiously threw the belt aside and stood up. Jack stood up also, tossing his chair away, as Christian came around the table, looking to start some hell. Unfortunately for him, it so turns out that Jack was taller, heavier, and ready.

"_Oh I knew this wasn't going to end well. those two just can't get along, can they?"_ asked Matt Striker.

"_Oh no! Jack Swagger with a gutwrench powerbomb on Christian, right through the table!" _cried Josh Matthews.

"_Wait a minute… who's that? Someone just jumped out of the crowd!"_

"_Is it a fan? A crazed Peep?"_

Jack was distracted, delivering a few choice words to Christian's motionless body. He smiled to the camera and the fans booed. The jeering suddenly turned to a deafening roar, and Jack smiled even more broadly, thinking the fans were cheering him.

"_Is that…what? I think it is! Yes! It's Lina Lavigne! Lina Lavigne has returned!"_

"_She's climbing up the outside of the ring! What is she doing?"_

The fans were still cheering. Apprehensive and confused, Jack looked towards the entrance ramp, half-expecting someone like Tommy Dreamer to be rushing down to Christian's aid. He saw no one, so he turned back around…

And spotted Ellie.

"_OH MY GOD! Missile dropkick from Lina Lavigne, right to the face of the ECW champion!"_

"_What on earth is she doing __here__?"_

"_After a near year-long absense, the Demonic Angel has finally returned, and she is back with a bang! What a treat for ECW!"_

Ellie was standing now. Jack had since rolled out of the ring and was stumbling towards the ramp, clutching his face angrily. She stared at him for a few terse seconds, and mouthed some words of warning to him. She looked around the ring and spotted the ECW title belt amongst the wreckage. She picked it up and stared at it, grinning. She looked up at the retreating Jack Swagger before pointing to Christian and held the belt up in the air.

Jack glared at her with smouldering eyes and shook his head slowly.

She dropped the belt and knelt down by Christian. He was starting to move again. She grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him up off the shattered table, cradling him in her arms. She looked back up at Swagger, who stood on the stage, fumed for a minute, and then left the arena. She watched him go.

The broadcasters were still talking about her, commentating on her surprise return and what just happened. She didn't hear any of it. But then…

"Ellie?"

She was startled. How long had it been since someone addressed her by her TNA name? She was just starting to get used to her old name again, and to hear her TNA name in the WWE was nothing short of strange-feeling. She glanced down at Christian. His eyes were slightly open now.

She smiled. "Surprised?" she inquired.

"Understatement of the century."

She smirked, brushing some wood shrapnel off of his shirt. "Okay, now, we've got to get you backstage. Some people should be here soon, don't know why they're not already. I know wood tables aren't as bad as glass ones, but I still want to get you—."

"You came back."

She paused, taken slightly aback. He sounded a little frail.

"Huh? Of course I did," she stated. "I even told you I would."

"I know…" he said, quietly. "I just didn't know when."

She was silent.

A trainer soon arrived in the ring and knelt down by Christian. Ellie quickly stood up and got out of the way as more help arrived. They cleared bits of the table off of him and helped him out of the ring. Ellie lingered around inside the ring as Christian was helped to the back. The WWE arenas were so much bigger than the TNA Impact Zone. There were tens of thousands of fans in attendance right now cheering for her, screaming her name, and chanting "Welcome back."

It was so familiar, yet strange.

She shook hands with and high fived the ringside fans on her way out of the arena. There were more people backstage who were also surprised to see her back. From asking around, she found that Christian had been taken to the green room.

_Wherever that is…_

She asked around some more and eventually found her way. She opened the door and peered inside. There were a few tables set up against the near wall covered in random bits of food and beverages. A couple chairs were scattered around, and in one corner was a tall potted plant. Next to the plant was a couch. Lying on the couch was Christian.

"You're looking well," she said, smirking.

Christian looked towards her and his face brightened. "Hey, Elle. Pull up a chair."

She grabbed a chair and set it up next to the couch. "So how are you doing?"

"You know, my head hurts more than anything else."

"Really?"

"After that Glass Table Incident, wooden tables really don't bother me so much anymore," he said. He slid his arms back on the couch and sat up. "So you finally came back, huh? Took you long enough."

"Hey, be glad I'm here at all," she said, smiling.

"Couldn't have come back sooner like I told you to. You just _had _to fight Sting, you _had_ to fight the Beautiful People and you _had_ to tag team with Roxxi. You _had_ to fight Kurt, and you had to be the hero, _again_."

"Oh, you saw that?" she questioned. "Well, I didn't _have_ to be the hero. It just seemed better than the alternative."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. AJ with one leg in a cast versus AJ with no legs in a cast? Hmm, I think I'll opt for the latter. Plus you know, no one else was helping him, so I did."

"Did it remind you of me?"

She knew he was just making fun of her, hinting back to the times when she felt that she had to save him from TNA's antagonizers. But just as she was about to humor him, she paused to think. She couldn't quite remember what had happened after she saved AJ on account of being so delirious, but he told her that as he was carrying her out of the Impact Zone, she told him that she missed Christian. Then she didn't say anything else after that.

Ellie looked back to Christian. "Yeah, a little."

He nodded slightly. From the look on his face, it didn't seem like he could tell if her answer was truthful or not. So he changed the subject. "So what are you doing here, anyway? Today's Tuesday."

"Yeah. It is."

"You know, Raw's on Monday, in case you forgot."

She laughed slightly. "Well obviously I'm not going back to Raw, now am I?"

"So you're here for what, ECW? Smackdown?"

"Okay, seriously? I'm on ECW now."

He paused, pointing at her open-mouthed as if he was going to say something. She raised her eyebrows, amused.

"Yes?"

"Come on, Elle, you gotta stop stalking me."

They were both smiling now. "Excuse me?"

"Couple years ago, I was on Raw, right?"

"Yes…"

"Then _you_ came to Raw."

"So I could intern for Jeff Hardy who happened to be on Raw at the time."

"And then I went to TNA, and few years later, so did you."

"A few years!" she said. "Plus, I went to TNA to beat up Angelina and Velvet, _not_ to meet _you_."

"And now, here we are in ECW, together again."

"Okay, you told me that you wanted to spice up the ECW brand because they 'needed a Canadian' or something. I just didn't want to go back to Raw or Smackdown because I had unpleasent experiences there. I figured I could come to ECW and start fresh."

"Because you know, if you hang around with me, then _nothing_ bad will ever happen to you," he said, grinning.

"Comment notwithstanding, I'm not stalking you. Promise."

"I obligatorily believe you."

"Is that a real word?"

"It is now. Plus, what scared you away from Raw and Smackdown? One, I thought you liked Raw. Two, I honestly thought that you'd go to Smackdown, where Jeff is now, so you could be with him again."

"Granted, I do miss Jeff. But I just couldn't go back to Smackdown."

"No?"

"No…Mostly because Edge is there."

"Oh, what do you have against Edge?"

"Nothing too bad. It's just that we used to date, so seeing him again would be kind of awkward, I guess."

They were both silent. She coughed once.

"You know, maybe I have a piece of table in my ears or something, but for a second there it sounded like you said that you and Edge _dated._"

"Must be one hell of a piece of table."

"You're serious, then. When was _this?"_

"Well, after you left, obviously. I guess more accurately, I should say that Edge and I had an affair."

Christian was silent for another few seconds as he gaped at her wordlessly. She raised her eyebrows innocently.

"You…dated Edge, _while_ he was married to Vickie Guererro."

"Technically, they were only dating at that time. But yes."

"Wow. Okay. And here I thought you were the good one."

"Oh no. I'm bad to the bone."

"I never really saw that side of you in TNA."

"Well I never really got a chance to show it while you were there."

"Uh huh. So what happened?"

"Well I broke up with him, eventually. There were a lot of factors leading up to it. I won't go into detail. But very soon after, Vickie found out, and boy, she really let me have it. First she tried to have me fired, but the Board of Directors wouldn't approve it. So then she used her General Manager powers to move me to Smackdown and torture me in-ring until Edge made her stop."

"And then you went to TNA?"

"Not immediately after, but pretty soon after that, yeah. I would hate for them to think I ran away, but the opportunity seemed right for me to go to TNA at the time. That's all. But since it was so unpleasent, when I came back to the WWE, I actually requested not to go to Smackdown (because Edge is there), _or_ Raw (because Vickie is there). So that just left ECW."

"Not in a good place with Edge anymore?"

"I have nothing against Edge and vice versa. I just think it would be best if we didn't interact very much anymore."

Christian shook his head. "I dunno, it's just weird to me. I mean, Edge and I used to be best friends. We grew up together, won seven tag team championships together…"

"I don't see how that would bother you. Plus, there's a very good reason for my being on ECW."

"Oh? What's that?"

"I figure I can hang around and pick on Swagger." She smiled. "Want to help?"

"Even though I'm already so much more ahead of you? Oh what the hell. I'm in."

"Oh good," she said. "Listen, I should go before Vince suddenly shows up and yells at me for showing up before my scheduled debut and pulling a crazy ass move like kicking Swagger in the head or something."

"You seem so sure of what's going to happen. Have you done this before?"

She smirked and stood up. "See you next week, Christian."

"Take it easy, Elle," he replied.

He laid himself back down on the couch as she got up, placed the chair back in its original spot, and then left. She paused by the doorway to take one more look at him. She smiled aside to herself and wondered half-seriously why she bothered herself with him.

"Huh. It _is_ you."

When she turned around, Jeff Hardy was propped up against the wall next to the door with his arms crossed. She smiled innocently as she closed the door, but otherwise didn't say anything. It seemed like he was expecting her to, so she raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"You don't seem surprised to see me," he said.

"I've been running in to people all day," she answered. "Are _you_ surprised to see _me_?"

"I guess? Hell, Lina, I don't know," Jeff said. "I don't think anyone really knew you were coming back until you just suddenly popped in today."

"You mean when I kicked Swagger in the face?" she asked, still smiling.

"Yeah, see I didn't really get a good look at that, but I _thought_ she looked like you," he said. "I just thought I was crazy or something, like 'That can't be Lina…she left almost a year ago.' But look at us now, huh?"

"Yeah…" she said. "How are things with you and Matt?"

"Oh Jesus, Lina. We're fighting at Backlash," he sighed. "But you know what? I can't wait."

"Oh my goodness, Jeff, that's kind of hard to hear," she said. "I hope you two will be done with this soon."

"Me too."

They were silent for a while.

"You still on Smackdown?" she asked finally.

"Yeah," he replied. "I managed to avoid getting drafted. I like it on Smackdown, really. What about you?"

"ECW for me," she said.

"Good choice, ECW's a good place," Jeff said. "But you seem pretty much attached to Christian's butt, so I'm guessing there's no chance I could get you to come to Smackdown?"

"I'm offended, really," she said. "I'm not going to go back to Smackdown."

"And I know why," he said, grinning. She was pretty sure he was referring to Edge. "All right, I won't push it if I know I can't convince you. But as long as you're back in WWE, I'm glad."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why so?"

"You look better in red than you do in blue," he whispered. "I'll see you around."

She didn't watch him leave. She was still slightly offended by both of his comments. She didn't think that she was _that_ attached to Christian. And what about him making fun of her ring outfits? Under her Demonic Angel gimmick, she was dressed primarily in red. But after she became the Ice Angel upon her transfer to TNA, she changed her main color to blue. And to be honest, she had never really given much thought to which color she looked better in. Who knew that Jeff would be the one to enlighten her?

She shook her head and started to head back to her hotel. She needed time to soak in the day's events.

**.xXx.**

She was right in that Vince yelled at her for messing up the schedule and kicking Swagger in the face. But it created an interesting challenge for the WWE bookers. Ellie had suddenly interjected herself into the Christian/Swagger feud, while she was planning to valet for Christian. With so few Divas in ECW, and most of them were valets themselves, Ellie had ultimately decided that valeting was her only choice. But that didn't mean that she couldn't still compete inside the ring.

The next week, Ellie made her official ECW in-ring debut. Ellie, fighting under the name Lina Lavigne, teamed up with Christian to defeat Jack Swagger and his tag team partner Alicia Fox. Christian ended up pinning Swagger after Ellie took out Alicia, who was trying to interfere.

She was there at the Backlash Pay-Per-View when Christian won the ECW Championship from Swagger. She was there with him every week on ECW when he came out to the ring to flaunt it and defend it successfully against challengers like Swagger, Tommy Dreamer, or the newly arrived Yoshi Tatsu.

The feeling of being in the WWE again sank in more quickly after that, and over a relatively short period of time, she once again became used to being called Lina. Every now and then, Christian would slip and call her Ellie. She didn't much care.

And she still watched TNA. So much changed after she left. At their Lockdown Pay-Per-View, Angelina Love dethroned Awesome Kong and became the new Knockout's Champion, and Mick Foley defeated Sting in a match for the World Heavyweight title. At the end of the month, Roxxi left the company and went to wrestle for SHIMMER and other indy promos. Victoria, Raven, and Shane Douglas arrived and wreaked havoc, while Daffney took a violent heel turn and attacked Taylor. The Frontline became the Originals again before Booker T also left the company and the Mafia broke up. Lots of other people arrived, even more left, and some were replaced.

Watching TNA was even weirder than being in WWE again. Maybe it was because so much was happening at once, or maybe it was because she wasn't in there being a part of the action like she had gotten so used to doing.

"A lot's changing," Christian said. "Do you miss it?"

She thought about this. "Of course."

"You gonna go back?"

She looked downwards and smiled. "When the time is right. Right now, I'm enjoying myself here."

Both things she said were true. She constantly kept up with TNA, and continued to valet for Christian. Through the months, she got a couple more offers to move to Smackdown or Raw, and she refused them all. Working with Christian wasn't the most enjoyable thing to do at some times, but she was still glad for the opportunity.

Just like how she was glad for the opportunity to wrestle for TNA.

She wanted to go back. But only the circumstances could determine when. But in the meantime, she was perfectly comfortable in ECW.

So who was she to rush things?

TNA could wait.

End Epilogue  
End "Vindictive Angels"

It's funny how the story seemed to write itself once I got more towards the end. I guess I should expect stuff like that to happen when I'm writing about an ongoing TV show. For instance, I like Taylor Wilde, but never intended for her to be in the Knockout's tag team match at the end. Madison Rayne just showed up one day and made a very compelling argument.  
**Note:** "And for a moment, she wondered if she _should_ go to Smackdown." This was because Jeff is on Smackdown, and she's pretty close to him.  
**Note II:** the ending "TNA could wait" line wasn't really a foreshadow for the sequel. It may or may not have something to do with TNA. We'll see how it goes.  
I've really enjoyed writing this. Thanks so much for sticking with me! It's been great. Keep an eye open for the prequel!  
Reviews, please!


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